Minister Persaud hints at stiffer penalties for dumping

MINISTER of Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr. Robert Persaud has vehemently condemned the practice of improper and indiscriminate dumping of solid waste, particularly in the capital city.

He observed, at a workshop for environmental groups last Friday, that it takes a concerted effort, involving multiple stakeholders to effect a change that would restore ours to a ‘clean and green’ environment.
Noting that we all, as citizens, have to take responsibility for putting an end to the wanton and irresponsible garbage disposal around the city and its environs, Minister Persaud said: “I would like to make a special appeal to community groups, environmental groups, the religious organisations and others, to take action.”
Speaking in the Campbell Room, of the Georgetown Club, on Camp Street, he alluded to the saying ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’ and added his view that religious organisations, for example, can make a significant impact in revolutionising this scenario.
He asked: “Where are our religious groups in taking the lead?”
“We need to be much more pro-active in this particular area, in terms of dealing with the issue,” Persaud posited.
Apportioning blame
He expressed confidence that: “We can make it happen and called on all and sundry to get involved and not await a miracle. We can make it happen, in terms of ending this shame that we have in this regard and the less time that we spend apportioning blame in various quarters, it would be better.”
The minister lauded the Plaisance Mini-Bus Association, whose members took the initiative to clean up their park rather than sit and wait indefinitely.
“We have to be willing to reinvigorate, in our national psyche, the feeling, not only of patriotism, but volunteerism; of doing things and not waiting for someone to do it,” he said.
He also made reference to residents neglecting to weed parapets and clean drains outside of their residential dwellings and dumping at street corners. “We need to change all that, if we’re all serious about making our community as it were, clean and green.”
Following his presentation, he gave answers to several questions and observations but remained adamant about the practice of persons in authority not setting the right example, whereas, sanctions are brought to bear on the populace for malpractices in relation to improper solid waste disposal.
He was candid in making the point that even officials of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) are culpable.
“If we could get citizens to participate and respond to the call, we also need the agencies to be responsive,” he emphasised.
Citing situations where officials, without reference to environmental consideration have proceeded to take poorly thought-out actions, Persaud warned that he has instructed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officers to not only prosecute individuals but go after the NDCs and the overseers themselves.
He said agencies will have to recognise that it is not only when the violation is committed by the citizenry or the public that sanctions should be imposed but also when officials are culpable.
In response to a question about penalties for littering, Minister Persaud admitted that persons could be fined for littering if caught but said prosecution and taking one to the courts for the offence could be a tedious process and has to be done by specific persons, tasked with that responsibility. But with the new regulations being drafted, the ministry has sought to create wardens who can initiate on-the-spot action.
“Further to that, we have created differential fines for what ordinary citizens have done; compared to, say a business. So we’ve created layers of breaches and it can depend on the magnitude of it [the offence].”
New arrangement
He said, whereas the prevailing fines are about $30,000, under the new arrangement, imprisonment could also be a factor. Persaud said discussions with the Office of the Chancellor of the Judiciary have already been initiated and once that mechanism is ready, the initiative could be pursued.
Meanwhile, the ministry is looking for volunteers, including persons working with the NDCs who, themselves will initiate legal action. Emphasising the seriousness of the proposal, Persaud declared: “The point is that, if people don’t believe you’re serious and, if they think that you’re bluffing, they will continue the infringements that we see taking place now.”
On the issue of waste recycling, he said once you are able to convert it into commodities, it takes care of the problem and that is why Government has been going all out, seeking a recycling facility which is badly needed.
He cited Banks DIH and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) as having arrangements in place to facilitate the recycling of plastic bottles.
In response to citizens wanting to properly dispose of their garbage in public but have no receptacles or receptacles not being cleaned or removed on time, Persaud attributed the problem to a lack of diligence on the part of the agencies or Government bodies concerned.
He said this explains why the City Council itself is now only responsible for the collection of garbage in one ward and all others have been outsourced to private agencies. He said, too, that the Ministry of Local Government has taken a very bold and positive decision, whereby, in many of the NDCs across the country, they have removed the responsibility for garbage collection and handed it to private contractors.
This underscores the need for the local bodies or agencies to do their job and do it properly, because if those arrangements are not properly managed, we will end up in the same situation,” the minister stressed.
He said there is, currently, an initiative by Government to clean the city, working in collaboration with the Ministries of Works and Local Government, clearing up the waterways and such like.
The Ministry of Local Government has been placing large receptacles at critical points for collection purposes and a large number of excavators were purchased across the country.
On the issue of cleaning of culverts in the city, the minister proposed that the mining communities can be approached to assist this effort, since many of their principals live in the city.
In wrapping up the discourse, the facilitator, Ms. Joycelyn Dow said citizens are calling for more stakeholder input on the new Solid Waste Bill before it is finalised for submission to Parliament.
Minister Persaud responded that plans are afoot for the start of a massive sensitisation campaign in January. Meantime, the Solid Waste Bill is now with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and Public Works Department since some changes have been made and have to be incorporated into the draft before it goes to the Ministry of Local Government.

(By Shirley Thomas)