St James residents urged to cease wanton littering
Published:Tuesday | December 13, 2022 | 12:05 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has lamented the continued indiscipline of residents in St James to litter public spaces despite several appeals to dispose of garbage properly.
Patrick Gilchrist, public cleansing officer at the agency’s western arm, Western Parks and Markets (WPM) Waste Management Limited, made the complaint at last Thursday’s St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC) meeting.
“People are not appreciating the fact that illegal dumping contributes to health issues, and people wantonly throw their waste away. Going up the Long Hill road earlier this week, in front of me was a KFC box that was coming out of a car, and I had to honk my horn and create a scene, and then they eventually slowed down and I said, ‘Look, you cannot dispose of your waste like that on the road’,” Gilchrist recounted.
“The indiscipline continues, and we know the problem we have in this country, which is indiscipline not only from the motorists, but from other people and how they dispose of their waste. I am imploring the citizens of this parish to take more pride in their disposal and containerisation of their waste, and help us to help you to keep our surroundings clean,” he added.
For years, the parish, which is home to tourism capital Montego Bay, has been grappling with improper waste disposal, including illegal dump sites, which has contributed to a rodent crisis and has been blamed for several floods.
In previous meetings of the StJMC, calls had been issued for the publication of the identities of litterbugs prosecuted under the NSWMA Act.
WPM ramped up garbage collection efforts in the western end of the island recently after 12 new garbage trucks were dispatched to the region to tackle a garbage collection backlog.
Gilchrist noted that inter-agency cooperation will be needed to maintain cleanliness in the parish.
“We cannot overemphasise the partnership between us and the municipal corporation in terms of waste management in the parish of St James. We at the WPM are not able to execute our duty without the support and partnership with all stakeholders,” said Gilchrist.
Montego Bay Mayor Leeroy Williams expressed confidence that new trucks, which were among 50 units to arrive in Jamaica last month, will be put to good use.
“As the mayor of this city, I want to see a clean city. I was in Sam Sharpe Square to welcome the arrival of the trucks, and it was elating to see those trucks coming in, knowing they should increase the capacity of the WPM to clean the city and its environs. So I am definitely looking forward to a very clean Christmas this year,” said Williams.