A donation of two push sweepers was made to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) on Friday, which will assist in the company’s major waste disposal initiative called ‘klean Kingston.’

Donated by Delta Supply, the multi-purpose tools which cost approximately $300,000 will replace brooms and dustpans in removing debris.

Executive director of the NSWMA Audley Gordon welcomed the equipment, noting that the tools will be good additions for the Klean Kingston initiative and other clean-up operations.

“So whereas you would have used a shovel and a broom, and sweep the things to one area, and then you shovel it up, now you are taking one machine, and you are sweeping and collecting the debris at the same time,” Gordon told the Jamaica Observer in an interview after the handover ceremony of the push sweepers.

“We are very appreciative that the Delta Supply came on board in a meaningful way, as they have to give us two sweepers. It was a joy collecting them this morning and watching how they work. There is no doubt that these will be helpful, not just for Klean Kingston but going forward; we welcome these partnerships,” he said.

According to deputy chairman for Delta Supply Johnathan Swire, the push sweepers will be very helpful in cleaning the roads and sidewalks.

“The NSWMA has been working on the Klean Kingston initiative, and we wanted to contribute but we had the sweeper, in particular, which is a very good tool,” he said.

“It replaces the broom and pan. It is very easy to use. It is all manual, it has no engine-driven components; it has no electrical components, so it is incredibly easy to train users to use it, and it is effective. We saw it as a good donation that the team members of NSWMA would be able to use to make their labour more efficient,” said Swire.

In the meantime, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce President Michael McMorris emphasised that improving Kingston is a “critical part of the puzzle for the development of Jamaica”.

“Kingston as the capital city is not just a nice-to-have, it is very important for development. Cities are where people come to get goods, services, live and work and can get good transportation, you go downtown to seek your fortune, and we know that downtown Kingston and all our urban centres are not where they need to be, to be able to drive that kind of development,” said McMorris.

Klean Kingston is being undertaken in collaboration with the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation and will entail a special day for intense clean-up activities. It is also a part of the NSWMA’s ‘Clean City’ programme which was designed to target the backlog of garbage in town centres and business districts.