The Georgetown Mayor and City Council has announced that it has started to ramp up the collection of waste across the city for the Christmas Season, with the hope of keeping the city clean.

The Director of Solid Waste Management, Walter Narine explained at a media conference this morning that garbage collection is done once weekly across the 15 Constituencies in Georgetown.

However, based on available data, the Municipality has taken a decision to increase the number of collections in Constituencies 8, 10, 11 and 13. 

Narine said based on the high volume of waste generated in those constituencies, particularly during the Christmas Season, the Council took a decision to have a second clearance done. 

As such, household waste is being collected twice weekly in Constituency 8 (Wortmanville, Werk-en-Rust, Stabroek), Constituency 10 (Albouystown/Charlestown), Constituency 11 (East and West La Penitence) and Constituency 13 (East and West Ruimveldt).

“All constituencies in Georgetown receive one collection per week, we would have increased these collections for these four constituencies to two collections per week. And this initiative has started on the 27^th of November and it will conclude on the 25^th of January,” Narine said. 

He said the eight-week initiative is coming at an extra cost of $8M, in addition to the $21M paid monthly to contractors to uplift waste around the city.

Chairman of the Solid Waste Management Committee, Clayton Hinds said another initiative focuses on bulky waste and garbage left on the city parapets. 

He said the Council has taken a decision to pay contractors responsible for garbage collection in Constituencies 1, 3, 4, 9 and 12, an additional sum to uplift bulky and parapet waste.

“We all know that this period of the year is always a challenge, it is always a challenge for the Mayor and City Council particularly in the area of garbage collection. And we have recognized that during this period, there is an increase in the disposal of unserviceable pieces of equipment that people may have in their homes. What they do, they do not dispose of these things in a responsible way. So, we have categorized those things as bulky, and sometimes it become an irritant to members of the community. So, what we did this year, in relation to the contractors we have providing services in the constituencies, we engaged them, and put a top up on the amount that we are paying to them,” Councillor Hinds explained. 

Meanwhile, the Mayor said the Municipality is working on another plan to have the main markets, Stabroek and Bourda clean at all times. 

The particulars, he said, are still being worked out. 

“One team at Stabroek, one team at Bourda and to have those places as clean as possible on a daily basis. We have to obviously work out the time schedule and how this thing works because it is not a case where they will work only in the day, may have to work a shift. I am not concern how it is done, however they choose to get it done, but we want the market to be cleaned,” he said. 

The Mayor said while the Municipality is doing its part, it is important for the residents of the city to do their party to keep the city clean. Both Mayor and Councillor warned against the indiscriminate dumping of garbage. 

Persons are being urged to place their waste in garbage receptacles at all times.

 Residents in a number of communities have been complaining about the build up of garbage in their areas.

Related posts:

City Council to decide on possible termination of contract with GWS over poor waste collection service City mulls serious action against Garbage Collection Contractor City Council blames errant contractor and human resource shortage for garbage build up Some Garbage collection trucks stranded on West Demerara; Several city areas affected