PRIME Minister Dr Andrew Holness has announced that the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) will lead the clean-up of the town of Black River as recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa move into a focused implementation phase.

The announcement was made during a tour of Black River, including a visit to Independence Park where hurricane debris removed during the emergency response phase is being temporarily stored.

Holness made it clear that the site cannot remain in its current state.

“This cannot be the final place for the disposal of the debris,” Holness said. “Independence Park is a part of the recreational life of the town, and obviously we don’t want to turn this into a mini dump.”

He said the Government has now formally tasked the UDC with responsibility for cleaning up the township – to help the businesses and residents remove debris generated from the hurricane and relocate the mini dump.

“Management of debris after disaster is critical, not just for the aesthetics but [because] it also poses a public health risk. We’ve seen situations with leptospirosis; we’re getting that under control but a critical part of getting the public health issue under control is to get rid of this debris,” he explained.

He said the UDC has a statutory mandate for urban development and to support urban spaces, and the clean-up must be done as frugally as possible.

This will operate alongside the National Clean-up Programme, with clearly defined boundaries.

“Both will run in parallel but they will not overlap,” Holness said, explaining that the UDC’s focus will be the town itself while the National Clean-up Programme will continue in surrounding communities and other affected areas.

UDC General Manager Bobby Honeyghan said the clean-up will include sanitation measures to support public health.