THERE is no telling when residential areas will be cleared of downed trees and other debris caused by Hurricane Dean as the agency responsible for the clean- up job – the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) – yesterday announced that its priority is to first clear the main thoroughfares and town centres across the island.

But yesterday, NSWMA officials were also unable give a timeline as to when the clean-up of the major thoroughfares and towns would be completed and asked residents to be patient with the agency, which is currently short on trucks and crews.

“.We will be concentrating on the main towns first and the main thoroughfares; we are going to be cleaning those areas first and then we will be getting into the small nitty-gritty and residential areas,” Christopher Powell, acting executive director of the NSWMA, told a press briefing at the agency’s Half-Way Tree road headquarters yesterday.

He said the cleaning up of several roads began on Tuesday while the clearing of the Cumberland main road in Portmore as well as roadways in phases I and II in Braeton began yesterday. Meanwhile, Rousseau Road, Maxfield Avenue, Molynes and Lyndhurst roads were expected to be cleared of debris yesterday.

He added that work had already started in Alligator Pond, Treasure Beach and Bamboo Avenue in south coast parishes and also in Montego Bay and Negril. So far the agency has finished clearing the towns of Ocho Rios and St Ann’s Bay in St Ann, and the roadways of Runaway Bay are currently being cleaned.

The Spanish Town to Bog Walk leg of the work is expected to start today.

Yesterday, Powell disclosed that an agreement had been reached with the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation to undertake the cleaning of the downtown Kingston area, and similar arrangements are to be made with other parish councils concerning the cleaning of certain areas within their parishes.

Meanwhile, NSWMA chairman, Robert Bryan is pleading to owners of tipper trucks and power saws who can render their services to contact the agency’s outlet at 97 Hagley Park Road in Kingston. Bryan said that the agency is in need of at least 60 trucks, accompanied with a crew of four men to each unit. It is currently working with 20 trucks.

“Very seriously, the truck situation is hampering our ability to accelerate the programme,” he disclosed.