MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Residents here are worried about the possibility of rodent infestation due to a pile-up of uncollected garbage for two weeks in some Mandeville communities.

“If they don’t come and collect the garbage that is piling up, rats will take us over! What I notice is that on especially Julie Drive there is an excessive pile-up of garbage there because it has not been emptied for two weeks,” said a resident of Ingleside, who asked not to be named.

However, regional operations manager for Southern Parks and Markets (SPM) Waste Management, Edward Muir, has sought to reassure residents that the pile-up will be cleared soon.

He told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that the unavailability of fully functional units hampered the collection of garbage in some Mandeville communities.

“The oldest backlog is two weeks in Mandeville. We have six units in Manchester [of which] we should have five units up and running by the end of the week,” he said.

“I am asking the residents in those areas to bear with us, so we will have all those backlogs cleared by Wednesday,” he added.

Muir said Mandeville is accustomed to once-a-week garbage collection and in some areas twice-a-week.

He disclosed that other than Ingleside there is a pile-up of garbage in Timber Trail, Sugar Research, Mike Town, and Summerset.

People who live off New Green Road have also complained to the Observer about a pile-up of uncollected solid waste.

Another Ingleside resident, who asked not to be named, blamed carelessness on the part of some householders who poorly containerise their garbage.

“People at some houses are careless too. They put the garbage out and don’t bag it properly, so that will attract rats and then all hell will break loose with rodent infestation,” she said.

Another resident is urging landlords of apartment complexes to ensure their tenants properly dispose of garbage.

“We are having a problem especially with these apartment buildings. They don’t dispose of their garbage properly, they just throw it out and the dogs then litter the place. It makes the place look like a dump,” said the resident who requested anonymity.

“I am asking if we can do something about those people who have apartment buildings, if they can see to it that their tenants dispose of their garbage properly, because it cannot continue like this,” she said.