Garbage pile-up affects St Elizabeth communities

Melville Harris, Gleaner Writer

Residents of several rural communities in St Elizabeth will be forced to celebrate the island's 56 anniversary of Independence tomorrow in the midst of a pile-up of garbage.

The National Solid Waste Management Authority subsidiary, Southern Parks and Markets (SPM), which has responsibility for garbage collection in the parish, said it was unable to carryout timely garbage collections due to a shortage of garbage trucks.

Residents in the communities of Siloah, Aberdeen, Thornton, Braes River, Haughton, Newton, Maggotty and adjoing districts, have complained that no garbage has been collected since the first week of July.

As a result, many households have been left with a garbage mound, which some have resorted to burning to get rid of the pile-up. But this is causing some uneasiness among their neighbours who complain about the smoke nuisance.

The pile-up of garbage has also led to an increase in rodents in the commercial centres of these rural communities.

During a drive-through of some of the affected communities, garbage bags could be seen tied to poles, walls and fences above the ground to prevent scattering by animals.

SPM said every effort would be made to have the backlog of garbage cleared in the shortest possible time.

The agency in the meantime is asking residents to ensure that their waste is properly packaged and stored to prevent littering by stray animals.