– Minister Whittaker

MINISTER within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Norman Whittaker, revealed yesterday that the authorities have discovered some 18 illegal dumpsites in the city.These are just the bigger ones among a set of others, he explained at a press conference he hosted, together with other Minister in the Ministry, Mr. Ganga Persaud and the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Collin Croal.
The disclosure follows recent announcements that the operations at Haags Bosch Landfill Site, aback Eccles, East Bank Demerara, have seen improvement and that the Georgetown municipality has acquired new garbage trucks.
But, to date, huge garbage piles can be seen at many points in the capital.
Asked to comment on this yesterday, Minister Whittaker said the general public must “buy in” to the idea of keeping the city clean.
He said it should be a joint effort between the ministry, the City Council, churches, citizens and the media, among others. While the ministry does not intend to assume the duties of the municipality, Whittaker said it will intervene to offer aid when necessary.

Additional support
Meanwhile, the Government has approved additional support for the ministry to assist the City Council in dealing with the expected increased end-of-the-year waste the holidays are expected to generate.
Minister Persaud, last month, said the extra aid is annual because the Government wants the city to look the best it can.
He had charged that a prevailing City Council attitude of “apathy” is responsible for the current poor solid waste disposal and the attendant ills affecting residents.
Mr. Gordon Gilkes, of the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme (GSWMP), had said that in support of this objective, operations at the Haags Bosch site will be extended by two hours daily during the festive season to also facilitate proper disposal of the excess garbage.
A reliable source had told this newspaper that it is estimated that generation of solid waste can increase by as much as 60 percent during the festive season.