The Environmental Community Health Organization (ECHO) has written to Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy about its concerns on the extent of the current garbage crisis which exists within Georgetown, urging him to act immediately to bring an end to the situation.
According to the letter, seen by this newspaper, and addressed to the Minister of Health, ECHO is concerned about the increasing accumulation of garbage “in almost every street in this city”, which the organization noted poses a serious environmental hazard to the ecology as well as the people of Georgetown. The organization stated that piles of rotting rubbish overspill onto the roadways and pavements as people and animals are, on many cases, coming into contact with scattered refuse and garbage “as they get about their daily chores”.
The letter stated that the ongoing situation is completely unacceptable and wrong to every citizen as the organization noted that the situation put at risk the health and lives of all citizens, particularly children and senior citizens because it provides a suitable environment for insects and rodents, which are carriers of various diseases. ECHO stated that many persons have started to burn their garbage causing much discomfort to their neighbours, those who may have respiratory and associated illnesses in particular.
In what the organization terms a new development as regards the non-collection of waste from municipal markets, ECHO stated that the possibility of contamination of goods being offered for sale for human consumption cannot be ruled out given the proximity of such goods to garbage. This scenario, the organization noted, and its likely impact to environmental and public health is absolutely frightening.
ECHO stated that the Health Minister would be advancing the interest of the country as a whole if he is to take immediate action, noting that as Georgetown is the capital city of Guyana, the health of its environment should be protected. It also stated that in its current state, the situation could not help our efforts to address the challenges of climate change.
ECHO is also seeking an audience with the Health Minister to share its ideas on the current situation, as the organization stated that governments, organizations and agencies the world over are paying serious attention to the manner in which their communities, towns and cities are managed and developed.
Meanwhile, the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN)- Guyana Chapter, a non-profitable/charitable organisation, is urging citizens to rethink their methods of garbage disposal in order to safeguard human health, reduce financial burden on society, as well as to reduce unnecessary strain on irrigation structures across the country.
According to a release from the body, while it empathizes with the city administration and its current financial situation, members of the organization are of the view that the improper disposal of solid waste by citizens is the major contributing factor to the city’s present dilemma. In addition, it also puts health and property at risk, since this leads to pollution which, among other things, reduces air and potable water quality, emits carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, the latter leading to floods as a result of global warming.
CYEN also noted that the present state of affairs gives tourists a negative impression of Guyana, since it takes away from the aesthetic beauty of the country, which can also indirectly damage the tourism industry.
The organisation is urging citizens to practice good citizenship by ensuring that their immediate surroundings are kept clean and to make an effort to practice using appropriate receptacles for waste disposal.
