Barbados Today

Independent Senator Sir Roy Trotman is raising a stink over the continued indiscriminate dumping of some residents, as well as the failure by officials to adequately contain the issue of cow itch, which has forced the closure of schools since the start of the year.

Speaking in the Upper House today on a resolution for the approval of a refinancing of a Government loan of US$13.925 million from the Ansa Merchant Bank for the sugar industry, Sir Roy said several sugar lands were “sadly neglected”, adding that some of them were even being used as dumping grounds.

“Wherever the unthinking and unconscionable see an open space of land they will believe that is the answer to their wish for a short cut and they will dump whatever it is, be it an old building, be it old furniture for their house, old appliances, you name it and they will dump it. And even though in some cases it may be unhealthy, they will dump it even in the St Lawrence swamp. This is totally unacceptable,” Sir Roy said.

Describing the dumping across the country as a major problem, the trade unionist explained that it came with a number of problems, including an increase in the rodent population and various diseases. He also warned that sugar lands no longer in production were “not getting the level of care needed”, but said Government should not be blamed.

Turning his attention to the troublesome issue of cow itch, Sir Roy said it was about time authorities found a way to properly address the issue.

Last week Tuesday classes at the Blackman and Gollop Primary School at Staple Grove, Christ Church came to an early end as cow itch forced officials to close the school temporarily until today.

“I would like to believe that by now we, so educated as we are, we so forward thinking as we are, we so able to create things as we are, ought to have been able to find something that properly addresses the awful problem of the cow itch, and either reduce it or find a way to treat with it at an earlier level on the land in such a way that we don’t have this awful problem of one school and then another school and the possibility of other schools that may have to close their doors because of this insidious problem of the cow itch,” complained Sir Roy.

In January the Thelma Berry Nursery School at St David’s Christ Church was forced to close as a result of the weed at a nearby field, and after it was reopened days later was forced to close again for the same issue.