Erratic garbage collection causing serious problems

THE EDITOR, Madam:

What are residents supposed to do when garbage gets piled up in front of their yards? Imagine garbage is not collected until weeks, even up to a month. This is an ongoing problem in Clarendon; no doubt people across the island are facing the same plight of late garbage-collection. This is both dangerous to the environment and the people, especially the children, and needs to be addressed with urgency.

We are all aware of the negative effects accumulation of waste can have on health. Take into consideration a yard that has two barrels/drums filled with garbage, plus an addition of three to four filled jumbo garbage bags (all of which are piled outside homes), not to mention garbage that is still inside the house, which has not yet been taken out. The yard referenced is located within a housing scheme, and so it is not proper to burn garbage. Therefore, let me ask the question again, what we the citizens supposed to do with garbage?

Many of the negative effects from late garbage-collection are air pollution, water contamination, adverse impact on health and the breeding of insects/rodents. The government needs to take action in a timely manner and ensure that garbage is not lying around for days and weeks, because this leads to respiratory problems, skin irritation, as well as other infections. Rodents multiplying within homes is another major concern, and please be reminded that they are also disease-carriers.

The people are aware that there was a shortage of garbage disposal trucks and that the government had worked towards the sourcing of more trucks. Unfortunately, it is not enough, because a lot of times, a truck for a designated area is also picking up garbage for another area when the truck assigned to that area breaks down. I am appealing to the government to consider the matter and put measures into place.

Garbage needs to be disposed of in a timely manner; letting it lying around and not being collected for weeks and even months is not cutting it.

VENEA MORGAN