KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party (PNP) has issued an urgent appeal to the Jamaican Government to devise and implement a comprehensive national strategy to combat the escalating public health threat posed by widespread garbage accumulation across the island. Shadow Minister of Local Government, Natalie Neita Garvey, emphasized in a Saturday statement that the growing domestic waste in every parish represents a “clear and present danger” to the population. She clarified that the issue extends beyond the debris left by Hurricane Melissa, which has only exacerbated an already dire situation. Neita Garvey acknowledged the challenges brought by the hurricane but stressed that further delays in addressing the waste crisis are untenable. She called on the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to adopt innovative and effective strategies to manage the crisis. The shadow minister highlighted that the combination of domestic waste and hurricane debris has created an “unprecedented islandwide crisis,” forcing some residents to resort to unsafe disposal methods. Neita Garvey urged Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie to take proactive leadership and move “beyond excuses” to avert a potential public health emergency. Following consultations with municipal corporations, she advocated for a coordinated national response that leverages both state and private-sector resources, including compactors and crane trucks, to address the problem comprehensively. Neita Garvey called for the immediate convening of the NSWMA to prepare and execute a robust cleanup plan, warning that swift and decisive action is essential to restore normalcy to communities unaccustomed to such conditions.
Opposition urges Government to act as garbage piles raise fears of disease outbreak
