–Minister Edghill says, calls for attitudinal change among Guyanese in this area

AIMING to change the mind-set of people via their “Removal of Derelicts” campaign, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill said that persons found disposing of abandoned materials on the roadways or in communities will be charged and prosecuted.
Edghill, in an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle, said that while Guyana is in the spotlight for its massive transformational changes, among other positive shifts, the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Public Works, is also working to ensure that the country is recognised for its tidiness as well as safety on the roadways.

One of the main goals of the campaign, according to the minister, is to restore normalcy to the communities across Guyana and sensitise the public on the advantages and disadvantages of keeping their environment and country clean.
Minister Edghill said: “We must develop a culture in Guyana where people understand that they cannot just dump old vehicles, old fridges, old freezers, and unwanted building materials, among other things, on the shoulders of the roadways and get away with it.
“Apart from this behaviour being bad for the aesthetic of our country, it is also a traffic safety issue when the road shoulders are being encumbered. The culture of dumping garbage on government reserve or any other form of littering must change, and we will prosecute those persons who are found guilty.”

The minister further said that the government reserve is not owned by anyone, and it is only there for particular purposes, and as such, individuals are not allowed to do anything that they want with it.
Noting that while the campaign team removed a significant amount of derelicts from Regions Four, Three, and Six, Minister Edghill said that Region Five has some amount to be removed but not as massive as the other regions mentioned.

Further, Minister Edghill said that this exercise will continue throughout the other regions. He also commended the Ministry of Local Government, Regional Development, and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) in the respective regions for their support and co-operation in ensuring that the campaign is a success.

The Public Works Minister also said that while the Ministry of Public Works has been removing the debris from the main thoroughfare, he was pleased to mention that they have been rendering assistance to the NDCs to ensure that derelicts are removed from the shoulders of streets within the respective communities as well.

Additionally, Minister Edghill said the ministry’s priority has been the main access roads and the main thoroughfares, and they will not stop until all of the debris is clear and the public understands the importance of keeping the roadways clear.
He emphasised: “Again, I want to make it clear to the public that as long as we clear an area or a spot along the roadways, we expect that it remains clear. However, if people go back to that area to start dumping again, we will charge and prosecute them.”

Since entering office in 2020, the President of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, along with his government has spearheaded and participated in multiple “clean-up campaigns” throughout Guyana.
The aim of these campaigns is to impact a positive lifestyle change on cleanliness throughout the nation and to ensure that the drainage, waterways, road shoulders, and general surroundings are kept in a clean, healthy, and usable condition.