It has to be embarrassing; everytime images are flashed on our television

screens, of foreigners helping in a clean-up campaign to rid the city and its environs of its preponderance of garbage. One may recall, a particular exercise,in which members of the diplomatic corps focused on removing the disgraceful waste from the Sea-Wall area. Then there was another intervention in the Tucville area sometime ago, that was spearheaded by a high-ranking Western diplomatic representative.
Once again, in keeping with the observance of World Environment Day, another such exercise is announced, that amounts to another removal of garbage from the city and its environs. From the scope of the undertaking, the endeavour will last for a few days.
What should have been a day of promoting national, heightened awareness of the environment, particularly as to its care, and the threat of global warming primarily, is really another operation of garbage removal.
This translates into the fact that garbage dumping is an inherent fact of the national culture; and it takes specially mounted initiatives to remove the piles. What an absolute disgrace! Is this what Guyanese are all about? Is this what citizens understand of garbage disposal?  Is this our environment?  Should citizens not feel ashamed at the constancy of these exercises?
The latter means that citizens are deliberate in creating this health hazard.  A tour of the city will reveal a dangerous, unlawful and unhealthy practice that is indescribably unsightly, as it is ghastly and disgusting. In virtually every bloc, there is at least an average of three created dumping sites. Like a creeping plague, the latter has been appearing overnight, and continues to increase. Many of these sites are very proximate to even communities and places of business. And so indiscriminate is this filthy habit that the perpetrators totally ignore their actions, and the likely tragic consequences.
These recalcitrants, many of them, can be heard praising the cleanliness of the Western metropolises. Is this not hypocritical? How can our citizens, many of whom are visitors to those climes, praise the cleanliness of those cities, often referring to the strict observance of “the laws”, but disrespect the laws of their country?
The shameful, shocking state of our city is indeed a national tragedy, facilitated by actions that regrettably have become cultural. This is wholly negative and is a challenge, which must be confronted decisively.  It is   an insalubrious habit that has become part of the national psyche. Therefore, it is people driven. So therein exists the greatest challenge; can citizens be relied on to desist from a practice that is pregnant with epidemic proportions?
Given the many instances of removal of garbage initiatives that carries a costly price tag, the answer has to be a resounding no; Having to rid the city of indiscriminate garbage deposits reeks of recklessness and a total disrespect for the best civic practices on the part of the offenders. This is a definite indication that citizens cannot be relied on to be responsible.
What a terrible shame that the law will now be enforced, as announced by the Honourable Minister of the environment, as a means of securing compliance from citizens.