Within the past several weeks, Government’s efforts to assist the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to keep the environment clean have been compromised by a huge pile up of garbage in the city owing to the council’s inability to pay its contractors.
Government has been able to maintain the cleanliness of some sections of the city and private garbage collectors have been uplifting garbage from residents for a fee. Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Kellawan Lall has said current efforts to clean the city and communities around Georgetown would benefit  as from yesterday.
“Officers from the Ministry are on the road identifying the more critical areas; not only the pile up of garbage, but various avenues, including Kitty, Campbellville, shoulders of the roads are in a very bad shape, with very high grass that has not been cut for weeks.
As for clearing clogged drains that are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and can cause flooding with excessive rainfall, the Ministry will be collaborating with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority.
“We will also be mobilising drainage and irrigation workers operating in the city, independent of the city council. We are collaborating with them, that is the Central Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture,” Minister Lall stated.
“I have had some commitments from some large companies with heavy equipment. I have had the commitment of one of those persons on strike because of non-payment. The person said he is willing to give us a helping hand, because that’s his job, doing garbage. While he was taking strike action, he has not only been assisting the council, but he has financial commitments, he has to pay his employees and three months now he has not been paid, so he has a problem, but he is always willing.”
Minister Lall noted that several meetings were held with various stakeholders, including the City Council, Ministry of Public Works and Communications, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC).
Minister Lall highlighted that when those meetings were held, he recognised that the city did not at that time have the capacity to deal with the pile up of garbage, as the contractors were on strike; and he could not at that juncture find the resources to add to what was being done.
He noted that the Ministry is catering for up to Monday for a full turn out, since not everyone would have responded yesterday.
Minister Lall observed that citizens are expressing concerns, and some are willing to be actively involved in cleaning the city.(GINA)