SSA appeals to Barbadians to clean up their act

The Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) has again pleaded to Barbadians to desist from illegal dumping, promising to get tough as officials discover dumping grounds  in north and south of the island.

SSA’s Public Relations Officer  Carl Alff Padmore made the plea as the waste management agency visited two illegal dumping sites on Wednesday at Checker Hall, St Lucy, and Waldrons, Christ Church. At Checker Hall, Padmore revealed that though garbage receptacles had been provided for waste, residents were still dumping illegally.

Padmore promised that the SSA is rolling out a more aggressive plan towards finding illegal dumpers.

“For 2021, the SSA is rolling out a more aggressive community plan and approach to arrest illegal dumping, and to be the ears and eyes at the level of the community, so that we can have a better environment,” he added.

Padmore said: “We are appalled by what we are witnessing because as you can see there are garbage receptacles here, but beyond that, there is a whole set of illegal dumping happening. When we did further investigations, we would have seen evidence that rodents lived here, and the persons who lived downwind from all of this, are experiencing a lot of discomfort.

“Now under the Health Services Act, the persons who are caught doing this will be charged, and they can be charged up to $5,000 or imprisonment. We are urging Barbadians to please desist from this practice. If you have issues at home with bulk, call the Ministry of Health.  We want you to desist from this; there is a serious outbreak of dengue recently in Barbados, so, therefore, we do not want to contribute to it.”

He also said that the owners of vacant lots had a responsibility to look after them.

“The Government did make it known to all Barbadians that they will go after persons with these lots that are abandoned. We want to remind you please, take care of your lot, by doing that you take care of your country,” he said.
(SB)