Believing in the power of unity and civic responsibility, government ministers have demonstrated strong commitment and dedication through their active participation in the nationwide clean-up campaign early Sunday morning.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali led the clean-up initiative.
Members of the private sector, the joint services, and other public-spirited citizens also participated to help restore the capital city and other areas nationwide.
Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill and his team covered the stretch leading up to the roundabout on Aubrey Barker Road.
The minister said garbage collection and waste management have been a major challenge in Georgetown. He believes it is time to shift the mindset around careless garbage disposal.
“We have conducted an extraordinary amount of work improving the ambiance, ensuring drainage, and taking care of the road network. The culture of dumping needs to be changed,” he told the Department of Public Information (DPI).
He pointed out simple efforts that can be made by citizens to ensure the drain is not clogged up.
The minister explained that there are people who drive heavy-duty trucks filled with sand without a cover and when the breeze blows, the sand goes into the drains. This, in return, affects the flow of the water system.
“And so, water remains on the roadways,” he explained. “When you look at the roundabout, we have picked up several sections of stones dripping from trucking moving aggregate. Trying to break or navigate on stones could lead to serious accidents.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal spearheaded the exercise around Princess and High Streets.
He urged citizens to take pride in their environment and desist from dumping garbage along the roadside.
“Two years ago I was here, and the debris that was here was worse than this. It has improved, but certainly everyone has to play a part because it starts at the top and you have that in the president and members of the cabinet,” Minister Croal underscored.
Additionally, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs and Information, Kwame McCoy, who was equally involved in the exercise at Hadfield Street, said the Mayor and City Council has neglected its responsibility to properly manage and remove garbage in the city.
“This is our initiative as a government and many places you’ll find that there are individuals who are assisting. Residents, the private sector and officials from other NGO’s who lend their support in terms of resources such as bob cats, trucks and excavators in some cases,” Minister McCoy pointed out.
Over 200 ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were on the ground covering several locations within the city, according to the Chief of Defence Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Omar Khan.
This initiative is the 10th National clean-up exercise conducted since the PPP/C returned to office in 2020.
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