Guyana municipal councils must do more to keep their environments clean

– President Ali leads nationwide cleanup drive
President Dr. Mohammad Irfaan Ali on Saturday morning participated in a nationwide clean-up drive organised by the Ministry of Public Works.
The Head of State attended the meeting along with Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd and Public Works Minister Deodat Indar. The meeting focused on the drainage and irrigation systems around various sites, especially at the DSL hub, where President Ali assisted in the clean-up.

The area has poor drainage, which often causes water to stagnate on the side of the road. President Ali and his team have managed to open channels to facilitate the normal drainage of the stagnant water.
Furthermore, in areas where dense vegetation had grown, critical work was carried out to maintain the standard level in the area. During this exercise, other cabinet members were deployed to other locations and areas to work hand in hand with the residents to create a hygienic environment.

Since the government took office in 2020, the focus has been on creating a cleaner and greener country. To achieve this goal, the President ensures that cleaning activities are continuously carried out in the ten administrative regions every year.
In order to improve efficiency, the responsibility has been narrowed down to the various Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and municipalities to ensure participation of residents within the communities.
To achieve the goal of a clean country, an initiative called the Community Improvement Worker program has also been implemented. The program allows people to get employment opportunities while helping to clean up their communities.

Many government officials and other citizens took part in the nationwide cleanup (Office of the President photo)
In this year’s budget, about $1.5 billion was allocated to sustain the program, which has so far placed about 2,000 people in employment. Meanwhile, through the First Lady’s office, several recreational facilities and green spaces have been established to promote a more family-oriented environment where people can grow spiritually and socially.
As a result, millions of dollars have been invested so far to build parks and other social infrastructure across the country. The PPP/PPP government has always given top priority to improving the lives of its citizens through its astute governance over the past four years.

Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Juan Edgehill on Saturday noted that Guyanese and the Georgetown City Council must work together to keep the city and its environment clean and tidy.
Minister Edgehill said he was disappointed with the accumulation of garbage near the Georgetown Public Hospital, especially on New Market Street in Georgetown.
He blamed vendors and traders operating in the area. The Minister lamented the lack of action by the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown.

Many government officials and other citizens took part in the nationwide cleanup (Office of the President photo)

“We are located in the main tertiary hospital in our country, the Georgetown Public Hospital, just opposite the hospital. We have truckloads of rubbish on our private land. We previously had reason to fence off the land after clearing it, but when we came back today, the fence had collapsed and there was more rubbish than before,” Minister Edgehill said.
He noted that GPHC had its own waste and rubbish disposal arrangements, but the waste handled at the site came from businesses and suppliers in the area. Minister Edhill said the wanton dumping of rubbish was an offence and the council could also take action against property owners.

“I want to take this opportunity to appeal to all Guyanese. We have to do better… We have to do better. We can’t keep doing this over and over again, vendors and those who do business in this area, please dispose of your rubbish properly. It is clear that the City Council has jurisdiction over these matters. Are you saying that the City Council has never seen anyone dumping rubbish here in order to issue a notice, investigate and have a police officer here to deal with it?”

Minister Edhere lamented the garbage that was brought in by trucks. The minister said the ministry was working with personnel across the country to clear abandoned vehicles, tyres and garbage.
He urged Guyanese to act more responsibly, noting that laws must be enforced. Minister Edgehill said those caught dumping rubbish need to be punished. Several volunteers shared their thoughts on the clean-up effort, including Captain Gerry Gouveia, Vice Chairman of the Private Sector Commission.
“As we develop Guyana and grow the economy, the investment climate is improving; more and more foreigners are coming here.

“We have worked so hard to build our economy and our country and we have to ensure that our cities and our country remain clean,” he said. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Thomas urged people to keep their surroundings clean.
“I want to take this opportunity to encourage people to stop littering. We found a lot of stuff this morning, a lot of plastic bottles and energy drink cans in the KFC boxes, but people need to stop littering so that the place and the environment will be cleaner,” he said. (DPI)