THE Environmental Health Department of the New Amsterdam Town Council is, vehemently, refuting allegations, by a section of the Berbice media, that the municipality vandalised the compactor garbage truck.

Environmental Health Assistant, Tiffany Jordan told the Guyana Chronicle that, during the month of January, the reconditioned vehicle developed problems with its hydraulic mechanism and it was discovered that a new foot valve is needed to put it back into operation.
“The driver of the truck, constantly, complained that it is not working efficiently. So, based on professional advice, we decided to park it until the foot valve is acquired,” she explained.
Jordan added that the Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) is in the process of sourcing the component, online, from a foreign country since it is not available at any spare parts depot or heavy duty store in Guyana and Suriname.
She pointed out that, with the truck being out of operation, her department had to draft a new waste collection schedule and, having only two tractors at its disposal, residents are asked to be patient and avoid dumping indiscriminately along the road shoulders and open areas.
A segment of the Berbice media, earlier this week, aired an accusation by a citizen, who claimed that the M&TC allegedly vandalised the compactor truck to sabotage development in New Amsterdam.
The comment drew widespread criticisms and left unanswered questions about the machine that was officially handed over to the M&TC in 2011 by Minister Norman Whittaker.