Barbados Today

Thousands of Barbadians are currently facing a “dire situation” of inadequate garbage collection.

Former Minister of Health Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott said today that instead of the minimum required 36 trucks daily to pick up household waste, Sanitation Service Authority workers were now being asked to do their jobs with no more than 20 trucks each day.

The Barbados Labour Party’s lead spokesman in the Senate raised the issue this afternoon there during debate on the acquisition of land at Vaucluse, St. Thomas for use by the expanded Mangrove Pond Landfill.

“At a time when you are speaking about compulsory acquisition of land I felt that somewhere in the speech of one hour could have been some mention for those thousands of households across this country who have been suffering in the last couple of weeks for lack of garbage collection,” he said.

“And perhaps we would … be enlightened as to when this situation will be alleviated. My information is that normally to provide the regular services by the Sanitation Service Authority, in terms of collection of garbage, they require a minimum of 36 trucks working day to day.

“Over the last three weeks my information is that they have been struggling to put 18 to 20 trucks on the road everyday and hence the problems,” he added.

Walcott said Barbados therefore not only had a problem of identifying space for garbage dispel, but “we indeed have a problem at collection, in that the Government at this point in time is struggling to provide adequate collection of garbage in this country”.

“In these circumstances I must also commend the hard working staff of the Sanitation Service Authority, who in these trying times all during the night when most of us are sleeping are collecting garbage and trying to double up to ensure that collection is provided to many of the households in Barbados,” he said. (SC)