The garbage that is piling up in residential communities of the city is the result of the new collectors not being familiar with the layout of the communities, a source at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) said.
Yesterday, unemptied receptacles lined some streets in areas such as Kitty, Subryanville and North Cummingsburg, creating an obnoxious scene. During a drive around, an acrid stench from receptacles was in the air.
According to the source, the garbage collection schedule has been out of order for at least a day and the Solid Waste Management Department is working to get the schedule on track.
“The contractors are now working along with workers from the Solid Waste Department to get familiar with the areas and by next week we should see little or no garbage pile-up,” the source said.
Stabroek News was told that there was no pile-up of garbage within the central business district and a plan is in place to prevent such.
It was explained that workers from the Solid Waste Management Department begin working from 4 am and go on to 7pm. In addition, a “roaming crew” is tasked with picking up garbage that might have been missed or placed after the truck would have passed. This service only applies to the commercial district, the source said.
While the situation is not where it is expected to be, the Solid Waste Department is hoping that the new garbage contractors will be able to manage the situation in the new week.
The M&CC was forced into a new garbage collection arrangement after its two major garbage disposal contractors withdrew their services due to City Hall’s inability to pay for the work they have done over the last six months.
Approximately $160 million is owed to both Puran Brothers Waste Disposal Inc and Cevons Waste Manage-ment. The companies have called for Central Government’s intervention once again, in a bid to be paid for their services.
Presently, they said, they are requesting “immediate and serious engagement” with City Hall toward a “binding agreement” regarding settlement of the amounts owing to them. They are seeking payment of the June and July, 2018 arrears by November 30th, 2018; payment of the August and September, 2018 arrears by December 31st, 2018; and resumption of regular payments as stipulated in their existing contracts on the pay date in February, 2019; the companies said in a joint press statement last Friday.
Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe, last Friday told a news conference that the companies—Garbage Eaters, Grandison, C&S Garbage collectors, Trash Tech and Tristara—are willing to work on credit. Stabroek News was told that these companies are currently working to provide the service for the M&CC.
