NSWMA engaged in balancing act to rid streets of waste

By Halshane Burke 

  

Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) Audley Gordon says the agency is engaged in a delicate balancing act to rid the streets of waste.

 

Since the passage of Hurricane Beryl, it has become commonplace to see tree cuttings along sidewalks and mixed into regular household garbage.

 

Mr. Gordon says the collection activities of the agency have been stretched with trucks collecting a large quantity of debris and tree cuttings, extending the turn around time for garbage collection. 

 

"We are soldiering on. We have to balance what we do in terms of the collecting of the trees and branches because we do have the regular garbage now. Where the regular garbage creates an offensive odour and can create the flies and the maggots, the trees and so on don't do that. So if we have an option to move one first, it's definitely the domestic garbage. That is not to say that we don't put some level of importance on the branches and the tree cutting because really, we want to move everything to bring the country to some level of normalcy," he admitted, while praising the government for providing the entity with resources to help in the clean up activites. 

 

Mr. Gordon said the agency will be redoubling its efforts to acquire additional trucks to quickly rid the streets of tree cuttings.

 

In addition, he said the agency is mindful of the likely increase in the mosquito population following the passage of Beryl and has launched an initiative to remove bulky waste. 

 

"We will be going after all the old appliances, all the old furniture, old stuff that is thrown in backyards, along roadways, you'll see them, sometimes old tyres. We'll be moving old cars too, derelict vehicles, because we want to get rid of them. And just know that we have to do this because oftentimes when we go to move these stuff, the greetings we get from the mosquitoes is strong and heavy," he asserted.