Residents of Lusignan railway embankment have been left to deal with the stench of garbage after persons on Thursday dumped refuse in the vicinity of their neighbourhood.
Residents related that the men returned yesterday morning to dump more refuse but they determinedly turned them back.
Superintendent of the Mon Repos/Annandale Neighbour-hood Democratic Council (NDC), Rocky Rampersaud said that the dumping has resulted from the closure of the original dump site at the Lusignan ‘back dam’.
He related that a meeting is to be held tomorrow to ascertain whether or not the dump site will be opened. Rampersaud said that he has already called Puran’s waste management services for a quotation and will have them remove the waste dumped at Lusignan if the dump site is not reopened.
When Stabroek News visited the area yesterday there was a stench in the calm, heated atmosphere. “Imagine when the breeze blow,” one resident said, referring to the stronger scent that would emanate when the wind picks up.
Rita Ramroop who lives across the road from the site said that the dumping of the refuse was done by vehicles belonging to the NDC. She added that they were aware of some problems with the dump site at the ‘back dam’ “but that doesn’t give anyone the right to come dump it here,” she related.
Another resident said that one person’s dumping will encourage others to dump and “that is why we turn back the truck this morning.” The man said that they cannot however spend all day watching out for persons coming to dump there.
Residents living across the canal from the area where the garbage was dumped, say that it is definitely not healthy for them, since they use the water in the canal for domestic purposes. They pointed out also that small children live at all of the homes. One woman said that the “terrible smell,” combined with the intense midday heat was overbearing.
Meanwhile Ramroop took the opportunity to point out that the canal behind her house is in desperate need of clearing, since in the rainy season it overflows, flooding her entire yard. She said that the canal is apart of the estate reserve.
She also said that squatters on the land behind her do not make any move to help in cleaning the canal and there is only so much she can do.
