THE Solid Waste Contractor for Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Mr. Wayne Nurse, issued a plea to Local Government Minister, Norman Whittaker to develop “a comprehensive programme” in order to “stop or control the way people throw garbage around the [Bartica] community.”Nurse, who was awarded the contract through a competitive bidding process, asserted during a meeting with the Local Government Minister and other officials on Friday last that the size of Bartica makes it easier to “bring the garbage situation under control.”
The contractor regretted strongly that what usually happens is that after “I go out there with my boys” and commence clean-up works at the beach front, or the parks, “people go behind and throw the water bottles on the street corner.”
Frustrated with the costliness of repeated action, Nurse questioned, “How are we going to stop unruly people from throwing their cups and their papers and stuff around”?
He went as far as to suggest that if the current clean-up campaign is to be sustained, then there has to be some forceful measures to sustain the works. Nurse further urged that strong action is necessary, because “One of our problems that we have in Bartica is people adhering to keeping the place clean.”
Agreeing with the concerns raised by Nurse, Minister Whittaker related that his ministry had always stressed the need for widespread stakeholder involvement in sustainability of the project. “That is why we are trying to have groups that are interested in working with us to keep the environment clean.”
Minister Whittaker disclosed that he presented a solution, which is for Cabinet to provide “funds which we can give to these groups so that they can support the work of the NDCs in keeping the place clean.”
The Local Government Minister cautioned that the greater issue is the question of “how we are going to change attitudes.” To this end, he stated “I don’t think you can ‘legislate’ behavioural changes” except to say that all must “play a part.”
Also at the meeting was Special Projects Officer of the Local Government Ministry, Mr. Bramanand Singh, who for his part said that he had been in contact with the Director of the Environmental Management and Compliance Department of the EPA, Khemraj Parsram.
The EPA Director had given word that the litter wardens are expected to be deployed to Bartica during this week. Singh urged the NDC to take full advantage of the services of the litter wardens.
Under the Litter Enforcement Regulations of the 1996 Environmental Protection Act, litter wardens are empowered to issue clean-up orders to citizens and businesses.
For citizens, a fine of $15,000 is mandatory if found littering; while, in other cases, a non-compliant resident who resists the order would be expected to pay a maximum of $50,000.