With public health authorities tracking the issue of dengue fever while battling to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Minister of Environment and National Beautification Adrian Forde is appealing to Barbadians to desist from illegal dumping and to keep their surroundings clean.
Forde said the public must play a role in Government’s response to the dengue problem because the perfect breathing ground for mosquitoes which cause dengue is dumped garbage, bushy areas, and water settled in containers and other items. He is also calling on owners of empty lots to ensure that their premises are bush free.
“Come and clean up your place. It is yours. I don’t believe that you would keep your bedroom looking in the way that you would keep those areas. As much as COVID is on the lips of every single Barbadian, mosquito-borne diseases kill more than two million people and that is why I am calling it the twin concern for Government.
“The verdict is already out that this is a big problem. It is a big problem for us as a Government and we are saying that to help us in this fight, we need the effort of every single Barbadian to maintain and clean the facilities around their place,” he said.
Forde indicated that with a national two-week lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 set to start next Wednesday, more Barbadians will be home and should find some time to clean their surroundings, including cutting and spraying grassy areas.
The minister issued the reminder that changes to the regulations under the Health Service Act speak to penalizing homeowners who fail to keep their premises clean, even after being warned by relevant authorities. He explained that the new legislation will allow the National Conservation Commission (NCC) to go in and de-bush unoccupied lots when landowners refuse to and then recoup the monies through the land tax or an effective ticketing system.
“We are not going to accept that Barbados remains in this way. It is not only a threat to our country as a green tourism destination, but it is a threat to the livelihoods of Barbadians. We are getting complaints daily. My phone is inundated with calls and messages about lots that are left idle and disused and this cannot be the order of the day.
“I am waiting until we have that fulsome discourse in terms of the legislation in Parliament and then take action. Because the same way that we can talk the talk, we have to walk the walk and doing the do for the people because Barbadians in large numbers are generally persons who adhere to rules and regulations. It is probably just a few persons who go astray. As I have said before when you run afoul of the law, I will be asking the authorities to put you before the law courts,” he said.
Earlier this month, Minister of Health and Wellness Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic said the ministry has been ramping up its response in terms of identifying mosquito-breeding sites and has also added a number of fogging teams to the existing complement as they await the arrival of fogging equipment from overseas.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley added that the decision was taken last September to give the Ministry of Health significantly more resources to be able to effectively tackle the dengue problem, including embarking on a de-bushing project. She said Barbadians can do far more to keep their surroundings clean. (AH)
