Dear Editor,

It is absolutely shameful that this very letter is being written while I’m surrounded by smoke and noxious fumes. I usually emerge from bed and look at the sun rise over the mountain range, I have had to spend the past few mornings looking at those same mountains shrouded by a thick and unbearable blanket of smoke. I am sure that many others in the Corporate Area are also equally annoyed at this sight. It is disgraceful!

This entire Riverton landfill debacle has been and continues to be an ugly spot on our nation’s development and it continues to hinder movement and productivity. More importantly, it also continues to highlight the problem of poor management by the Government, particularly the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).

This entire Riverton landfill debacle has been and continues to be an ugly spot on our nation’s development and it continues to hinder movement and productivity. More importantly, it also continues to highlight the problem of poor management by the Government, particularly the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).

Schools and businesses have had to be closed, as if we haven’t lost enough man hours thanks to the recent chikungunya epidemic and the mismanagement under Fenton Ferguson’s leadership at the Ministry of Health. What’s worse, several people have had to be rushed to our already overburdened hospitals and health centres.

How can a government that has continued to experience this problem for years, often more than once for a year, continue to treat the issue with such neglect and irresponsibility? It shows more and more to me that the NSWMA reeks with poor management. NSWMA head Jennifer Edwards complains about the lack of resources but she is too reactive in her leadership, not proactive as a good leader ought to be. Why hasn’t she attempted to allocate some resources to fire prevention at Riverton? If she has consistently failed she ought to resign.

I commend the efforts of the valiant men and women of the Jamaica Fire Brigade. They have had to be on the frontlines battling this blaze with very little resources too. Douse this fire!

Joy Stratford