The Linden Mayor and Town Council is working to rectify its solid waste issues and officials say that poor management and limited funding are at the root of the problem.
A number of residents and tourism entities based in the town of Linden have brought to light that garbage collected by the council, is being dumped along the roadways leading to one of the town’s main tourist attractions, the Kara Kara Blue Lake.
One resident, who asked not to be named, told Stabroek News that vehicles which are reportedly contracted by the council for solid waste disposal are dumping garbage along the access road which also leads to the Kara Kara dumpsite. The garbage which has been left there has made the road impassable with persons now unable to access the Blue Lake. “They are doing this at this location… that area is the hottest tourism spot in Linden,” the resident said.
To this end, the resident questioned the council’s ability to properly manage the dumpsite by allowing the garbage to be dumped in an open space, which the resident mentioned was also an environmental issue.
When Stabroek News contacted Linden Deputy Mayor, Wainwright Bethune yesterday, he noted that it is a complex situation that the council is faced with. “It is kind of complicated that here was dedicated to dumping garbage and right beside it is this beauty that we all enjoy that can boost tourism and everything.”
He explained that the area that was designated for dumping garbage is approximately 200 square meters and the council conducts “free dumping” in the designated area which he said means that they would then have to go in with an excavator and move the garbage further into the site.
“So what has happened in this case is that the area is full to capacity and somehow the operators moved across the road, because you have to cross the dumpsite to reach one of the entrances to the beach area. These guys dumped and reached to the road, blocking the access area,” Bethune pointed out.
The deputy mayor added that this was not something the council knew about initially and did not endorse such an action.
Further, he disclosed that the council is also cash-strapped and it would cost them approximately $1.5 million per month to have the garbage moved further into the site.
However, Bethune reported that the council has reached out to bauxite mining company, BOSAI to have the council use the company’s machines to assist with works to rectify the issue at the dumpsite.
“What we’re seeing there, this is no desire of the council, we want to embrace that location for the beauty that it has, for tourism and to boost the tourism drive in and around Linden. But again the council, it’s a plethora of problems and that is part of the results,” the deputy mayor said.
When asked what could be done to remedy the situation and whether there are any other sites available which could be used as a dumpsite, Bethune responded that there are a number of areas in addition to which, the council currently has a programme which addresses the moving of the dumpsite.
He related while the aim is to move the site, an appropriate location where that can be done will have to be selected after consulting the Environmental Protection Agency and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission.
“We are in the process of looking at an appropriate location so that we can remove the garbage disposal from that location and then have a thriving tourism location,” Bethune said while calling for a unified approach to the process.
However, in comparison to last week, he observed that the situation has “marginally” improved while mentioning that today, BOSAI is expected to be there to assist. Striking a note of optimism, he said that the situation is expected to be gradually rectified within the new week.
