More sensitisation is needed to curb the issue of reckless disposal of garbage in Bartica, Mayor Gifford Marshall said yesterday.
Marshall was responding to a letter penned by communications specialist Kit Nascimento, who said that there has been an increasing amount of garbage being dumped into the Essequibo River by Barticans.
“I cannot validate, he is saying yes, there is an increase but I am not sure of the facts in that. I cannot comment on that… We are aware that despite our effort, persons continue to dispose their garbage in a reckless manner. We have continued to sensitise and capacity building…we have been trying our best where solid waste management is concerned, we have had some successes,” Marshall said in response to the concern highlighted in the letter, which was published in the June 6th edition of Stabroek News.
According to Marshall, his municipality has been working to curb the issue of reckless disposal of garbage but they have been facing some difficulties as residents are accustomed to disposing their waste in a carefree manner.
The Mayor said that they have been able to keep the community clean by offering garbage collection services twice daily.
He added that they would also carry out regular cleanup exercises on the beachfront and most recently, engaged in a cleaning exercise around the First Avenue koker.
Nascimento, who said he travels to his Hurakabra resort located a short distance away from Bartica almost every weekend, wrote that “within about 8 miles downriver of Bartica, I encounter an increasing amount of rubbish dumped in the river by the Bartica community, including plastic boxes, plastic bottles, and, worst of all, paper wrapping, which, if caught in a boat’s propeller, can do extensive damage and even cause an accident.”
Marshall said that the municipality has been spending millions of dollars to keep “our environment free from litter over the past three years and the Byderabo dumpsite is now managed under a contractual agreement.”
According to the Mayor, the municipality inherited a lawless system from the Neighbourhood Democratic Council. The Byderabo dump site, he said, was an environmental nightmare while the streets and market were littered with garbage and little effort was place on the collection and disposal of garbage.
“Despite our efforts, individuals continue to litter our parks, alleyways, and rivers. This age-old practice is of serious bother to the leadership of the town… We do not have a constabulary at the municipality and therefore enforcement is difficulty,” the Mayor said.
He called on his constituents and visitors to the community to be caretakers of the environment.
