MANDEVILLE, Manchester — With its focus still split between debris management and solid waste removal in hurricane-ravaged areas, Southern Parks and Markets says the public can expect further improvement in garbage collection by early February.

According to SPM Regional Director Sheldon Smith, garbage collection woes vary in Manchester, Clarendon, and St Elizabeth — the three parishes where the agency is responsible for solid waste management.

“In another two weeks or so we should be in a better position… if we get cooperation from the citizens in containerisation and not illegally dumping the waste, I can assure you that we can give a much better service. But because we have to be doing a twofold operation in cleaning up behind those who dump illegally, it has stretched the resources,” Smith told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday.

He said SPM has made significant improvements in St Elizabeth over the last two months.

“The debris management [is still] going on. I must say that late last year the prime minister gave us 10 brand new tipper trucks, and that was solely for debris management. The first place they were deployed was in St Elizabeth in Black River. Our first order of business was to clear the area where they used for the fireworks; we then cleared the town centre,” he said.

His reference was to the New Year’s Eve fireworks show held in the St Elizabeth capital by the Urban Development Corporation to lift the spirits of residents still recovering from Hurricane Melissa which devastated the town on October 28 last year.

Mayor of Black River Richard Solomon lauded SPM’s effort in clearing debris.

“I have a meeting for [Wednesday with SPM] to discuss the communities where their focus will now be shifted. A lot of loads are being pulled from the areas into the dump site as we speak,” he said.

“Based on the magnitude and the amount of loads, I have to commend them on what has happened thus far. A lot of people would not remember what it looked like because a lot of the debris was removed,” he added.

Smith also said that in Manchester SPM has maintained its schedule, for the most part.

“Manchester is not in a bad state. The [complaints] that we would normally get from customers are way down,” he said.

However, mayor of Mandeville Donovan Mitchell said solid waste collection in the parish is still lacking.

“In a sense, things have not improved. I have been in dialogue with the managers at SPM to discuss the garbage situation but one would understand that what we had done… some of the workers from Mandeville went down to St Elizabeth to work in the Black River area,” he said.

“… I have received calls from some communities to say that from December no [garbage truck] has come, but I was given the assurance that these areas will be cleaned. I know that areas like Royal Flat, at the skip, are cleaned as often as possible. We do understand that there are other areas that were [worst] affected by Melissa,” added Mitchell.

Smith said that in Clarendon the northern section of the parish still has challenges, with downed utility wires affecting the movement of garbage trucks.

“There was the SWEEP team in the Longville Park area; it is [one of] the biggest single-housing developments in the Caribbean. The northern belt though, where there was some damage and still we have [telecoms] wires down… we do try and go through but it is still a challenge,” said Smith.

Operation SWEEP COP was launched in 2023 by the National Solid Waste Management Authority with 10 motorcycles and eight new garbage trucks, to enhance and enforce proper waste management across the island.

Smith said SPM’s manpower has also been affected by staff being ill during the flu season. He reiterated his appeal for citizens to properly bag and secure solid waste in drums at their gates.

“As long as you have it properly bagged and at your gate, you don’t have to worry about it. We will come for it,” he said while adding that night collections are also being done in some areas.

MITCHELL… in a sense, things have not improved

SOLOMON… based on the…amount of loads, I have to commend them on what has happened thus far