Local Government and Regional Development Minister Priya Manickchand has signalled that the government will bring the life of the Haags Bosch landfill to an end and shift towards a network of new, modern landfill sites across the country.
Speaking during the Committee of Supply, she was pressed by APNU Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul on the future of Haags Bosch, given rapid housing and infrastructural development in its vicinity and persistent complaints about foul odours.
Manickchand confirmed that Haags Bosch, which was built with a three‑cell design, is now operating in Cell Three, the final cell, and is projected to be closed by 2029. Cells One and Two have already been filled and are being covered and rehabilitated, with the Minister saying the intention is to make the closed cells suitable for recreational use.
While there is no plan to shut the site before its designed end of life, Manickchand made it clear that the government’s strategy is to retire Haags Bosch once Cell Three is exhausted and to rely instead on a new generation of landfill facilities.
She said consultancies are being initiated to design and develop modern landfill sites at locations including Lusignan and regional sites in Zorg-en-Vlygt in Region Two, La Grange/Catherine in Region Three, Onderneeming in Region Five, Madewini in Region Four, Fort Success in Region Six, Lethem in Region Nine and Rockstone in Region Ten.
These sites, she stressed, will be built around a circular model of solid waste management “use, dispose, reuse” with an emphasis on reducing environmental impact and improving the reliability of garbage collection.
The Minister also disclosed that the government is advancing work on Guyana’s first solid waste management law, expected within the course of the year, to support this transition to modern, better‑regulated landfill operations and to address long‑standing community concerns over odour, overflow and indiscriminate dumping.
Mahipaul, however, maintained that residents and commuters are still affected by smells around Haags Bosch and questioned whether the government can fully control the stench and manage the encroached zones before the site is finally closed.
Manickchand insisted that conditions in nearby communities have “dramatically improved” and pledged that as Haags Bosch is phased out and the new, modern sites come on stream, waste disposal in Guyana will become cleaner, safer and more efficient.
