KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is calling on the Government to urgently implement a comprehensive national plan to address what it says is a growing public health threat caused by widespread garbage accumulation across the island.

In a statement on Saturday, Shadow Minister of Local Government Natalie Neita Garvey warned that mounting domestic waste in every parish now poses a “clear and present danger” to Jamaicans, stressing that the backlog in regular garbage collection must not be confused with debris left behind by Hurricane Melissa.

The hurricane, she noted, has created “an entirely new layer of challenges” on top of an already collapsing collection schedule.

While acknowledging the difficult conditions since the hurricane, Neita Garvey insisted that the country cannot afford further delays and urged the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to adopt more creative and effective strategies. She added that the domestic waste pile-up, combined with hurricane debris, has created an “unprecedented islandwide crisis” that is pushing some residents to unsafe disposal practices.

The shadow minister urged Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie to demonstrate proactive leadership and move “beyond excuses” to prevent a potential public health emergency.

Following consultations with municipal corporations across Jamaica, Neita Garvey said the moment demands a coordinated national response that merges state and private-sector resources, including compactors and crane trucks, to tackle the problem at scale.

She called on the minister to convene the NSWMA immediately to prepare and execute a robust cleanup plan, warning that swift and decisive action is needed to restore normality to communities not accustomed to such conditions.