KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has added four new water tenders to its fleet as the Government continues efforts to strengthen the agency’s operational capacity and disaster response capabilities.

Speaking at the handover ceremony on Tuesday, Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie said the new units form part of the Government’s continued investment in the NSWMA since 2016.

“We have given to the organisation more than 130 trucks in various forms over the last 10 years, which is unprecedented in the history of the National Solid Waste Management Authority,” McKenzie said.

He noted that the four trucks follow the delivery of 10 tipper trucks last year, which continue to assist with debris removal across the island following Hurricane Melissa.

McKenzie argued that the additional equipment will not only improve routine operations but also enhance the Government’s ability to respond to emergencies, including disruptions to water supply and natural disasters.

“One organisation that never got any rest during Melissa was Solid Waste,” he said, adding that the new trucks would help keep government operations functioning during emergencies and support recovery efforts in affected communities.

The minister said one truck will be assigned to each of the NSWMA’s four operational regions.

He also disclosed that the Government intends to procure an additional four water trucks during the new financial year.

“We understand that when Solid Waste is properly equipped, it makes life easier in executing its responsibilities. It doesn’t make sense to talk about Solid Waste and what we expect from Solid Waste. They have to have the tools to do the work,” McKenzie said.

John Ralston, managing director of Tank-Weld Equipment Ltd, the supplier of the trucks, said the trucks were procured to address a range of sanitation needs beyond garbage collection.

“People think that it’s just a garbage collection service, but it’s not. It’s all sanitation and with sanitation you need water,” Ralston said.

He explained that the multi-purpose vehicles can be used to fight fires at disposal sites, deliver water to government facilities and suppress dust on roadways.

(From left) Rev Delroy Harris; Audley Gordon, executive director NSWMA; Sheenique Johnson, deputy executive director NSWMA; Desmond Mckenzie, minister of Local Government; and Omar Sweeney, NSWMA board chairman at the NSWMA water trucks handover ceremony at the agency’s head office in Kingston on Tuesday. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)