Communities to be cleared of garbage soon
Minister
of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, says by the
end of the week, several communities will be cleared of garbage caused by
recent heavy rains.
The
Minister, who spoke at the handover of two garbage compactor trucks, valued more
than $50 million, to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) by
the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), said that while the rains were
welcome, they posed a huge challenge to infrastructure and the collection and
disposal of garbage in many communities.
The
ceremony was held at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Andrew on October
22.
McKenzie
said that he had dialogue with the leadership of the NSWMA, and an “assurance
was given that by the end of the week there will be a significant reduction in
the pile-up of garbage across sections of the country.”
He also
disclosed that more than $100 million has been approved for the construction of
a bridge that will improve access to the Riverton Landfill, as the current
bridge needs to be replaced.
The Minister pointed out that plans are “far advanced” to purchase 100 trucks for the NSWMA, which will be the largest one-time purchase of garbage-collection vehicles for the agency.