Georgetown: Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud has urged persons to desist from illegal dumping of garbage, and pointed out Government’s efforts to promote a clean and healthy environment.
He made the remark recently as scores of local and international volunteers turned out to clean the seawalls in observance of International Coastal Clean-up Day (ICC).
“Do not leave your garbage behind, use the receptacle or put it in your bag and take it home! Your garbage does not belong in our open space. You have to think about the consequences of your actions,” he said.
The Minister said Guyana has to deal with the critical issue of solid waste management, especially in populated areas. He added that the “Cleanup My Country” campaign under the Local Government Ministry and other such activities, including the Pick It Up Guyana (PIUG) and Litter Wardens Programme are initiatives put in place to bring about greater sanitisation and involvement of all Guyanese, particularly young people, in creating a cleaner environment.
ICC is an annual observance intended to enhance awareness, as well as action to prevent pollution along coast lines, oceans, rivers and seas. The initial ICC was conducted in Georgetown, in September, 2005, attracting 70 participants. Since then, participation in the activity has grown gradually to an average of about 200 persons in the Georgetown ICC. The activity has also been conducted in other regions of Guyana.
“We are not reaching the level in terms of persons recognising the consequences of their own actions in terms of the wanton indiscriminate disposal of waste, but we are gradually seeing a change in that and people’s involvement in activities such as this shows positivity,” he said.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has over the years, collaborated with other partners to mobilise volunteers to participate in the annual ICC exercise to rid the coastline of litter and to encourage positive behavioural change, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
In 2013, following the passage of Litter Enforcement Regulations, the PIUG’s work became integrated into a Litter Wardens Programme under the Environmental Protection Agency and has engaged 12 wardens for Georgetown. The intention is to increase the number to 30.
Under the programme, the possibility of including current employees of other state agencies as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other citizens who are willing to commit to the solution is being explored.
“I am happy to see so many young people out here today, this is a demonstration of support for this wide initiative even as we narrowly focus on coastal cleanup and preservation of coastline to avoid and prevent pollution,” the Minister said.
In relation to the currently ongoing cleanup efforts, Persaud said “the cleanliness would need to be sustained after they have been made, they can only be sustained by greater efforts of the Local Government authorities but at the end, the commitment of villagers in communities will make that difference.”
He added that it is his hope persons who come out to relax on the seawalls on Sunday see the efforts of the persons involved in the coastal cleanup, and appealed for persons who use the seawall to conduct their activities in a manner to ensure it remains clean.
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