Stewart: Machines good, but manual labour essential to Melissa clean-up
Published:Thursday | November 27, 2025 | 12:06 AMKaren Madden/Gleaner Writer
Former president of the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica Carvel Stewart says Jamaica will need both heavy equipment and extensive manual labour to tackle the mountain of debris left behind by Hurricane Melissa.
Drawing on decades of experience in construction and large-scale clean-up operations, Stewart noted that while machinery will be crucial, “a lot more labour” will be required to remove and load the types of materials scattered across affected communities.
“The hurricane debris would require a lot more labour – people to lift the debris and put it in the trucks – because some of it cannot be comfortably lifted by equipment,” he explained. “You will have things like metal, roof sheeting, lumber, roof [material], and so on, that don’t readily lend themselves to being picked up. Smaller items – pieces of buildings, concrete – can be handled by large loading machines, but the rest requires hands-on work.”
Stewart warned that finding suitable disposal sites may be an even greater challenge given Jamaica’s long-standing landfill constraints.
“The actual locations for disposal are probably going to be a bigger challenge and the recovery of the loose material, the loading onto vehicles and transporting them,” he said.
As the country struggles to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, debris removal has emerged as one of the most pressing difficulties.
The United Nations Development Programme estimates that the Category 5 hurricane, which struck western Jamaica on October 18, produced more than 4.8 million tonnes of debris. This includes roughly 2.1 million tonnes of building material, 1.3 million tonnes of vegetation, and 1.4 million tonnes of personal property waste – figures expected to increase as rebuilding advances.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, speaking at the November 19 post-Melissa press briefing, acknowledged that the sheer volume of debris poses an unprecedented challenge and will stretch Jamaica’s resources thin. As a result, the Government has begun seeking help from international partners.
Following their recent visit, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley pledged support. Jamaica has also reached out beyond the region. “We have asked the government of China to support us in this regard as well, with heavy equipment – trucks, compactors, bulldozers and so forth – to help us with this huge problem of debris management,” Holness said.
He added that while the National Solid Waste Management Authority and private contractors will be deployed, the country must “maintain a delicate balance to treat with the emergency, without creating another emergency”.
With Jamaica already battling a leptospirosis outbreak and facing heightened risk of other post-disaster diseases, hurricane debris removal must occur simultaneously with the regular collection of domestic garbage.
Disposal, Holness acknowledged, will be another significant hurdle, and the Government may need to look at recycling options to manage the unprecedented load.