M&CC to be blamed for illegal city dumpsites – Minister Edghill

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, M.P, said he is disappointed with the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) for allowing prominent areas to become illegal dumpsites.

The minister was among several cabinet members on Sunday, who participated in the massive clean up campaign organised by the joint services and the private sector, with support from the government.

Minister Edghill observed tons of garbage being pulled out and dumped into trucks from Savage Street, Georgetown. The road links Robb and Regent Streets.

“The volume of garbage that is here speaks to two things. One; the neglect by the Mayor and City Council, first of all to enforce and secondly, remove solid waste from the city,” Minister Edghill told DPI.

He said the amount of solid waste removed from the passageway, was not accumulated over weeks or months.

“…this is years of garbage. A pile that is five to six feet high in the air on a street that is maybe 30 meters long, it (was) allowed to happen with a constabulary that is enforced [and] with laws that are enforced,” he added.

The public works minister called on citizens to be more responsible and work in unison to ensure the city remains clean.

“Drury Lane, which some 52 truckloads of garbage were removed during Thursday and Friday, there is garbage there this morning.

Apart from the neglect of the Mayor and City Council, we have to have a mind change, a mentality change. People have got to understand, we have to take responsibility,” the minister stressed.

Government wants to clear the area to allow drivers plying the East Coast route to occupy the space. This will allow commuters to traverse the throughfare freely without encountering traffic congestion.

Meanwhile, a number of residents have called on their fellow Guyanese to take a new approach to keeping the nation’s roadways and communities clean, as the country moves ahead.

Travelling from Essequibo, Rudolph Glasgow said he is enjoying the city’s new fresh air and urged persons to desist from littering the environment.

“People just have to keep their garbage in their bags and just don’t litter. it’s just simple, nothing too hard,” the young barber advised.

Chief Executive Officer of Natural Fiber, Fashion and Art Association, Carol Fraser believes “…we need to do a programme now to change the mindset of our people, our young people and how they treat our environment.”

An overseas based Guyanese, Everlyn Agard said government should implement serious consequences for persons who are found littering.

“I think they should keep this up and impose penalties for illegal dumping. They’re doing a wonderful work this morning and I think it should be kept up by the citizens of Guyana,” she emphasised.