Efforts to reduce garbage: Region Five gets compactor trucks

Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) leaders across Region Five are welcoming the arrival of new compactor trucks – an intervention they believe will ease pressure on communities witnessing an increase in garbage piling up.

A total of nine NDCs in Region Five received the trucks on Friday at the Haags Bosch Sanitary Facility on the East Bank Demerara (EBD).

This brings the region’s total to 10 after Rosignol received its truck in March. Every NDC in the region now has at least one compactor truck.

Chairperson of Profit/Rising Sun NDC, Angela McDonald, described the delivery as a meaningful intervention, saying that the community has been dealing with persistent garbage disposal issues.

“I hope now with this service, persons in the community will use it, and they will stop dumping garbage around and help us to keep the place clean,” she said. “We are very grateful for this initiative. It will do us a good.”

Chairman of the Woodlands Farm NDC, Krisendat Balkaran, told the Department of Public Information DPI that “We have some areas where garbage is piling up, and with this initiative, we would minimise garbage disposal in our communities.”

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips spearheaded the handing over ceremony. He stated that the initiative is part of President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s broader push to improve the quality of life for Guyanese.

He explained that development is not just about constructing highways and buildings, it is also about making sure people live in clean, safe places.

“Solid waste disposal is linked to our health and to our survival as a nation,” he stated. “This is just one of many projects that will be implemented to ensure we are tackling things when it comes to solid waste disposal.”

PM Phillips added that proper solid waste management has become even more critical as Guyana’s economy and infrastructure continue to grow. He tied solid waste disposal directly to public health, cautioning that poor habits could chip away at the country’s development gains.

The prime minister stated that trucks are meant to support NDCs and municipalities and not for personal gains.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand emphasised the importance of local government bodies, especially with the arrival of new equipment.

She acknowledged that in the past, limited resources and poor maintenance had hobbled waste collection efforts. In 2020, only five NDCs were equipped with garbage trucks, with four of those out of service.

This time, the goal is to keep the trucks well-managed and serviced for a long lifespan.

“There is now going to be pickup of garbage in a routine, organised, predictable manner so that people don’t have to live in anxiety,” the minister said. “We’re trying to reduce that kind of anxiety for more citizens.”

With this latest distribution, 55 NDCs have now been equipped with garbage trucks, bringing the government 78.6 per cent closer to achieving full coverage across all NDCs.

To date, NDCs across multiple regions have benefitted from the initiative. In Region One, one truck was delivered to Port Kaituma, while Region Two received 10 trucks. Region Three is now fully equipped with 14 trucks distributed across its NDCs, including those previously delivered to Wakenaam and Leguan.

Region Five received a total of ten 10 trucks, inclusive of the one provided earlier this year. In Region Six, 19 trucks have been distributed, while Region Nine has received one.

Municipalities have also benefited from the programme, with trucks delivered to Mabaruma, three municipalities in Region Six, and one in Region Nine.