…in countrywide clean-up

MINISTER of Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr. Robert Persaud, has called for the mass involvement of all stakeholders as the $1B ‘Clean-Up My Country Programme’ draws to its climax.

At a recent meeting of the Technical Committee of the ‘Clean-Up My Country Programme,’ the Natural Resources Minister expressed a need to pool efforts and resources to “ensure that this initiative of the Government is not only successfully implemented, but also sustained.”

“I think all of us recognise that the condition, particularly of our capital city and elsewhere, is a national embarrassment. This is an opportunity for us to do something about it and to spend less time squabbling and pointing fingers” – Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud

The ‘Clean-Up My Country Programme’ is an inter-agency initiative spearheaded by the Local Government Ministry with the involvement of the Natural Resources Ministry, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Georgetown City Council, among other stakeholders.

VOLUNTEERISM
Minister Persaud said that with the activities coming under the programme, focus ought to be placed on the need for “volunteerism.”

“We need to bring volunteerism early, not only at the end of the activity to look at sustainability, but volunteerism in terms of involving communities [and] community leaders.”
According to him, the project should similarly see the involvement of religious bodies, NGOs [non-governmental organisations], and youth clubs, “because the communities in which these works are being undertaken belong to the people who reside there.”

Making a strong case, the Minister added: “All of us share that we want this programme to be effective [and] sustainable. I think all of us recognise that the condition, particularly of our capital city and elsewhere, is a national embarrassment.”

He added: “This is an opportunity for us to do something about it, and to spend less time squabbling and pointing fingers. It is also their (the people’s) responsibility to want to contribute to the type of work, not only in identification, but also in implementation and monitoring.”

After expressing his opinion on the need for more across-the-board involvement of stakeholders, the Minister urged the implementation body to act speedily on the advice given.

REGULATION ENFORCEMENT
Persaud said the involvement of all the local government bodies is crucial in regard to enforcement.
He expressed disgust at a citizen who was observed recklessly disposing of his garbage in a canal that had been cleaned a few days ago.

Minister Persaud stressed that the message of effective solid waste management has not been translated well to the citizens who sometimes seem not to want to listen.

“What that shows is that we are not getting over, very effectively, the message of responsibility, of respect, and of persons recognising that they have a role,” he said, and added that there have been enforced regulations designed to deal with the current situation. These include not only litter regulations, but also the coming-to-be of the litter wardens, which according to him numbered about 12 in Georgetown and 30 throughout the country.

He said that the MNRE Ministry, through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to have more litter wardens sworn in, with a possibility of including current employees of other state agencies as well as NGOs and other citizens who are willing to commit to the solution.
He said this initiative stands to ensure that “enforcement” is the order of the day.

Under the Litter Enforcement Regulations of the 1996 Environmental Protection Act, litter wardens are empowered to issue clean-up orders to citizens and businesses.
For citizens, a fine of $15,000 is mandatory if found littering; while, in other cases, a non-compliant resident who resists the order would be expected to pay a maximum of $50,000.

Recognising the role of business owners in illegal dumping by means of vagrants, a two-week order would be issued by the litter wardens, depending on the size of the garbage pile. If owners are non-compliant, an immediate fine of $100,000 applies, along with the possibility of prison time.
Minister Persaud charged the Local Government Minister to ensure that all NDCs and municipalities recognise their role in the current works, “if we are going to make it more effective.”
Persaud expressed satisfaction with the goal of the clean-up campaign, since it allows for other agencies to invest in local government authorities in order to lend assistance.

“This intervention is very critical in the sense that it allows us to inject a bit of energy to carry out works that the local government bodies and the other agencies would not be able to do, due to various constraints,” he said.

He concluded that if the factors of civil society involvement and reaffirmed commitment are not taken into account, then “we would be doing a disservice, and not getting value for money.”

(By Derwayne Wills)