Although residents in several city wards continue to complain about the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) not sticking to its new garbage collection schedule, Solid Waste Management Director Walter Narine has said that pick-ups would have been done in every area.
“…Some early and some in the afternoons. Three shifts are employed, from 4 am to 8 am, 8 am to 2 pm and 2pm to 10pm,” Narine told Stabroek News on Thursday.
In a press statement on Thursday, City Hall said that over the last week the council collected more than 1,703 tonnes of garbage from neighborhoods in Georgetown.
The council noted, however, that “a handful of residents appears to be bent on hurting the environment by dumping their garbage onto parapets in abandoned yards and other reserves. This is really a demonstration of indiscipline….”
According to the council, in the weeks to come efforts will be made to increase collection in certain areas, in addition to an increase in patrols by members of the anti-litter squad in all communities.
An aggressive public awareness programme in communities and the setting up of a network to monitor and evaluate the work of departments in local communities are also planned.
The M&CC was forced to reassume responsibility for collection in the city due to its inability to make payments to two private firms, Cevons Waste Management Inc and Puran Brothers Disposal Inc.
Following the M&CC’s resumption of garbage collection in the city with the aid of three small contractors, residents have also complained that open back trucks were visiting their communities and charging $500 per bin for garbage collection.
However, Narine informed that while his department would have received these complaints, the council has no issues with persons who want to pay these private companies. He argued, however that, “the truck operators must not tell any resident they are working for us.”
Last Wednesday, Narine, in a social media post, had also said that a canter along with ex-workers of one of the previous contractors were caught collecting refuse in Delph Street, Campbellville for a charge of $1,000 per barrel, under the guise that they were working for the Mayor and City Council. “Please be advised we have not contracted these guys,” he said.
Friday last, this newspaper had reported that residents in Agricola, McDoom and Houston had complained that their garbage was not being picked up in a timely manner.
Narine had explained however that the contractor tasked with that area would have encountered several problems and as a result the solid waste department would be heading into the affected areas to bring some relief to residents.
