Falmouth mayor blasts litterbugs

Amid complaints of Falmouth, Trelawny becoming increasingly filthy and rat-infested, the town’s mayor Collen Gager says clean-up efforts are being undermined by some vendors and litterbugs.

“No matter how we try to, they still find ways and means to dump in the drain,” he said.

Gager told THE STAR that he has identified some dumping hotspots in the town, notably in the vicinity of the town’s transport centre along Tharpe Street.

“We have to go down by the bit that is now causing the problem, down by that Tharpe Street, where the transportation centre is. Even the fencing that we put up, they have destroyed it. So we are aware of the problem and we do work and we do what we ought to do, but we’d ask that those that use the car park [and], others too, [should] take some responsibility,” he said.

Gager said the municipal corporation is only able to carry out periodic clean-up exercises in the town, since its budget does not allow for the area to be cleaned weekly. Still, he said, while the authorities continue to try maintaining the area, those who use the space regularly often undermine the work by improperly disposing of their waste.

“The vendors that sells in the in the transportation centre, each of them in the morning is given a garbage bag. Instead of putting the garbage into the bag, some take the garbage bag home. Some people [litter] anywhere and the drum is right there,” he lamented.

Gager also addressed complaints of a growing rat infestation in the parish capital, acknowledging that rodents have been a longstanding problem. However, he said increasing improper disposal of food waste has created an ideal environment for the rats to thrive in.

“The people who cook and sell food within the town surrounding, they are the ones who discard the food any and anywhere. And the rats now eat up and get fat and, quick time, they multiply. All of the leftover chicken, them fry the skin and all of that is just thrown there in the mornings to the night in the evening. So the rat has a feast during the nights,” Gager said.

To combat the issue, he said that the municipal corporation is now prepared to take tougher measures against persons who continue to breach proper waste-disposal practices.

“This Thursday, we are going to say, ‘Listen, it is either or either. If you can’t contain [your waste], we are going to take away your position for selling and get rid of the selling within the town,” he cautioned.

Cager also said discussions are ongoing to increase visits by the parish’s health department to monitor how waste is being disposed of in town.

“We are going to be asking persons, too, when they see someone who is just discarding garbage anywhere, just take a picture and send it to us. And we are going to try and name them and put it out there,“ he said.

In the meantime, the mayor noted that clean-up work was carried out in the town and along sections of the highway as recently as last Saturday.