Opposition MP Delroy Chuck believes that some residents of upper St Andrew are doing those in the lower sections of the parish and Kingston a disservice by dumping garbage into the gullies which run into downtown areas.

Speaking in the House of Representatives last week, during the debate on a bill seeking to make provisions for tickets to be issued to persons accused of littering, Chuck said that instead of putting their garbage out for the trucks to collect, some people are throwing them into the gullies, blocking the flow of waste water. As a result, the garbage is washed down into Kingston and lower St Andrew.

“I will be the first to admit that they are coming from northern St Andrew,” said Chuck, who represents North East St Andrew and is the Opposition spokesman on justice.

“What is interesting is that, I will go by the gully bank and see the people throwing garbage into the gullies, and when you speak to them, they say, ‘Mr Chuck, what you worried about? when the rain come everything wash away’. And when you tell them that it is hurting central Kingston and West St Andrew they will tell you that’s their problem.

“For one reason or another people are not respecting other constituencies. They feel the best thing to do is to get rid of their garbage by throwing it into the gully and it is creating a major, major problem,” he said.

Chuck suggested that if the amendment is to be effective, the provisions of the Act must be enforced and the penalties “fully and fairly” applied. He also encouraged the use of public education programmes, as well as the court system, “to really and truly ensure compliance under the Act.”

Deputy Speaker of the House, O T Williams, agreed with Chuck about the garbage causing flooding in downtown areas like his West St Andrew constituency.