MONTEGO BAY, St James — The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has included the one-time clean-up of a section of Montego Bay’s vital South Gully on the list of projects being carried out under its Debris Management Programme.

Scheduled for March 31, work will focus on the outlet of the huge drain which plays a major role in averting flooding within the city.

“We know that Hurricane Melissa did quite a lot of damage, and once you travel along that stretch you would have seen the build-up of waste leading into the sea, heading from the South Gully. We took the initiative to clear the place,” NSWMA Community Relations Manager Sharnon Williams told the Jamaica Observer.

She said the NSWMA will be working with other stakeholders to remove all the waste from the area.

“We’ll be using fisherfolk and volunteers to — after the equipment has cleared the heavy stuff — go in and clear whatever waste the equipment cannot pull out,” Williams explained.

She said that in addition to hurricane-related debris, the items clearly visible include various types of solid waste, including plastic. Williams noted that a filthy gully also has implications for fisherfolk and others who depend on the sea for their livelihood.

“We are thinking about the public health issues that can happen because of this pile-up of waste in the sea,” she said.

“Because of all the health implications, the environmental impact, and how it looks — and the impact it can have on tourism — we’ve decided that we have a Debris Management Programme so this can fall under it,” she added.

The Debris Management Programme was established post-Hurricane Melissa to provide the operational support necessary to clear debris in parishes that were significantly impacted by the Category 5 storm which hit sections of Jamaica last October.

“We received, at the end of last year, some tipper trucks that were specifically assigned to assist with the recovery efforts. Those tipper trucks will be on site assisting with the removal of debris and solid waste,” Williams explained.

“We’ll also be using an excavator to work in the space,” she added.

However, she made it clear that, as they work, the NSWMA would make every effort to minimise any negative impact on the environment.

“We’ve been having conversations with the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to get the necessary approvals to use the equipment to assist with clearing the waste,” she explained.

“It will be carefully monitored and supervised so that there is no damage caused by the equipment — especially to the sea floor,” added Williams.

One of those looking forward to the clean-up is Montego Bay Marine Park Executive Director Hugh Shim. He is worried about potential damage from long-term pollution of the gully.

“If people keep on dumping stuff in the gully [the current unsightly mess] is exactly what is going to happen again,” he lamented.

Shim is hoping individuals will take greater care with their garbage.

For Williams, the intention is to clean the space as best as possible so that all who use it will be able to benefit.

“We are hoping that at the end of the operation the space will be in a cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing condition and so fisherfolk are free to continue to conduct their business, not being worried about the implications that the waste would have had on marine life,” she said.

WILLIAMS… we took the initiative to clear the place