NEW Amsterdam businessman, Devin Sookraj of D. Sookraj General Store at Main & New Streets is calling on his fellow entrepreneurs to properly dispose of their solid waste and desist from offering mentally challenged persons and drug addicts small sums of money to do so on their behalf.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, the businessman pointed out that it has been more than five years since mentally challenged persons and drug addicts (‘junkies’) have been dumping solid waste and other smelly items on an empty plot of land aback of his business entity.
He was high in praise of the Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) who has been ensuring that the waste is removed but he is still worried about the health of his family and passersby.
“The plot of land is owned by an overseas-based family and I don’t know what they intend to do, but I must say that I am the person who is paying weeders to keep the land tidy and as I do so, these mentally challenged men come late at nights and dump a lot of garbage on the site,” he said.
He reiterated that he is displeased at the manner in which some of his colleagues in business choose to dispose of their waste.
“I know for a fact that many persons look for the easiest and cheapest way to get rid of their garbage and a lot of them pay these drug addicts on the streets a small amount of money and these guys would throw the garbage on the empty land aback of my property and other open areas,” he alleged.
Sookraj added that the situation is becoming ridiculous and the stench that emanates from the garbage is hazardous to the health of people in the immediate environs.

LATE NIGHT LITTERBUGS
“I am totally fed up of this discrepancy within the township and it seems as though very little can be done to monitor these late night litter bugs. I am hoping that very soon when a new system is implemented, this problem would be alleviated,” he stressed.
Sookraj said that he is in sympathy with the M&TC since he’s aware that they are understaffed and don’t have enough security personnel to police the public against indiscriminate dumping.

PRIVATE CONTRACTOR
Meanwhile, Advanced Environmental Solutions will be starting a private garbage collection system this month in the Lower Corentyne to East Bank Berbice area, where a fee of $300 will be charged for each barrel of solid waste but commercial rates as well as rates for disposal of carcasses will differ.
Sookraj is hoping that the new system will bring some relief to the current plight and that people within the municipality will comply with the requirements of the contractor.