Garbage crisis boils over in St Catherine

Weeks of uncollected garbage and spreading illegal dumping sites are choking communities across St Catherine, fuelling public anger and sharp criticism of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). Local representatives say the agency has failed to bring the worsening crisis under control.

During Thursday’s meeting of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation, a peeved Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor for the Mount Industry division, Correl Davis, accused the NSWMA of presenting a “fictitious report” on waste collection.

“As an officer from an agency coming here to give report, it is full time now that MPM (NSWMA) come here with schedules so that we can make a determination ... [on] how much backlog. Don’t just come here giving a report that you are back a few … because nothing is like that. We have areas that residential garbage has not been picked up for two and a half months. That is not ‘in-the-back’. Don’t come here with that type of report,” Davis said.

She added that her deep-rural division has been completely neglected.

“I have not heard anything as it relates to garbage collection [there], especially in the schools. Nothing at all. So that report is fictitious, and I am not going to sit here in this council as a member and accept it,” Davis said to applause.

The outcry comes as residents struggle with the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which left debris, damaged household items, and fallen trees scattered across the parish, overwhelming an already strained system, political representatives on both sides of the aisle acknowledged.

A trek by The Gleaner across Spanish Town and Portmore confirmed the concerns. In several areas, household and commercial waste spilled onto sidewalks and roadways. Along the Bernard Lodge main road in Portmore, an illegal dump had sprung up, filled with old furniture, construction debris, and household refuse. The stench in some communities was overpowering.

Residents say that they have pleaded for weeks for regular collection but see trucks only sporadically.

“If unno did come yesterday, unno woulda see how out a Newlands stay. Dem fi gwan better cause uptown nuh stay so,” one Portmore resident said.

JLP councillor for the Independence City Division Courtney Edwards said councillors are aware of the NSWMA’s challenges, especially the shortage of trucks to collect bulky waste.

“What is now alarming is that the same persons who have tree cuttings by their roadways are being ticketed by the NSWMA and given a 14-day notice to remove them or pay a $100,000 fine, so I am asking that this be looked into,” Edwards said.

Logistical setbacks

NSWMA representatives at the meeting acknowledged the backlog but cited logistical setbacks, including equipment shortages, reluctance by supplementary contractors to work during heavy rains, and the massive increase in waste after the hurricane.

Andrew Gooden, public-cleansing manager for St Catherine, admitted that the agency was having “a bit of a delay” with regular collections. Communities that usually require two truckloads now demand five or six because residents are mixing storm debris with domestic waste.

“This has resulted in a major delay right across the parish,” he said.

To address the pile-up, Gooden said the NSWMA is seeking additional compactors and conducting night-time collections in sections of Portmore, Angels, and Etham, with plans to expand as the festive season approaches. Street sweeping has also been resumed.

Post-Melissa clean-up efforts are focused on major roadways. Gooden said over 40 loads of bulky waste had been removed in the past two weeks, including clearing the westbound lane of Mandela Highway and sections of Portmore. The agency temporarily paused operations to reassess priority areas, aiming to stem the rapid growth of illegal dumping sites.

Newly appointed Regional Operations Manager Tracy Fakhourie, just a week into the role, said enforcement would be key to changing public behaviour. She noted that illegal dumping sites are recurring and costly to manage, calling for a joint approach involving public education, signage, sanctions, and patrols. Councillors were urged to help identify problem areas so the agency can install ‘No Dumping’ signs and maintain monitoring.

“It’s not an overnight process, but we have to work strategically to have a change,” Fakhourie said.

Mayor Norman Scott pledged support and noted that municipal officers, who are special district constables, have been trained and issued ticket books to assist NSWMA enforcement efforts.

Waterford division councillor Fenley Douglas said the crisis is now a public-health threat.

“Residents are complaining of an increase in rodents across the division due to the fact that the garbage collection is infrequent. We are seeing an increase in the flies and mosquitos, etc, coupled with the fact that in this parish, we are also seeing an increase in the hand foot and mouth disease,” Douglas said, adding that gastrointestinal complications may arise.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com