Over 700 Truckloads of Solid Waste Removed From Catherine Hall and Westgreen

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has removed over 700 truckloads of solid waste material from Catherine Hall and Westgreen in St. James following flood damage caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Hon. Robert Morgan, in making the disclosure, said that there is still “a lot more to be done” to return the communities to normality.

Minister Morgan was on a tour of the areas on Friday (Nov. 14), along with Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Special Projects, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley; Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon; and Executive Director of the NSWMA, Audley Gordon.

Floodwaters from Hurricane Melissa left behind deposits of thick mud and debris, which are being cleaned from the homes and the streets of the adjoining communities.

Minister Morgan said that the clean-up exercise is critical and will be ongoing.

“This is a very important task that we are engaged in. Mr. Wheatley and I have been assigned by the Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, to work with the NSWMA and the municipality and the communities to assist them in returning to normalcy,” he said.

He noted that the Government has directed a multi-agency response involving local labour and resources.

“The municipality as well as the NSWMA have been tasked by the Government, by the Cabinet, to engage significant labour from the communities and also equipment from the surrounding areas and water trucks as well, to clean the communities,” Minister Morgan said.

For his part, Dr. Wheatley said the devastation in Catherine Hall and Westgreen requires urgent, coordinated action.

Detailing the impact, he outlined that, “water reached as high as 10 feet above ground level and the persons living in this community, they have suffered greatly… damage to almost every furniture, clothes, you name it. Roofs were damaged as well.”

He noted that the immediate priority is to ensure public health and community safety.

“Over the next couple of days we will step up the work that was started by the NSWMA. Now we are going into the crevices within the communities, the walkways, to remove the mud and the dirt and then wash out these walkways and help the persons to wash out their homes as well, as a next step towards bringing back some semblance of normality to the residents of these two communities,” Dr. Wheatley said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Vernon said that the clean-up activities will intensify in the coming days.

“Much of the heavy lifting has been done. We are going to continue doing that with the support of the NSWMA,” he said.

“We are going to provide some sanitation throughout the community. The Jamaica Fire Brigade will be assisting with the washing of streets, washing of homes so that we can clean up the community as quickly as possible and restore it to a state of normalcy and dignity. That is our role here,” the Mayor stated.

NSWMA Executive Director, Audley Gordon, informed that additional manpower and equipment have been mobilised to begin the next phase of work.

“The work will begin tonight [Nov.14]. We are just waiting until the heavy traffic gets out and we can come in and start that work,” he said.

Mr. Gordon commended residents for their patience during the extensive recovery process.

“Even as we begin this new phase in terms of the more refined approach, we still have to give thanks to the residents and ‘big them up’ for their patience so far and ask them for a little more, just a little more.

“We are getting there; we are significantly way ahead of where we were a week ago and we will not leave until we have completed the task. We owe this to you and we are going to ensure that it’s done,” he pledged.