Haig Street residents appeal for help with garbage

Norma Edwards,a resident of Haig Street for more than 30 years, told Newsday she tried raising the matter with the councillor for the area and the corporation, but the matter is yet to be addressed.

“I have tried everyone I think could help us with this problem and no one came to see how bad the garbage bins are affecting us. When the bins are filled and rain falls, the garbage gets all over the place.

I can’t open my doors or windows due to the stench of the rubbish.” She continued, “People can get sick...the garbage trucks don’t come on time to take the garbage, and it is a breeding ground for maggots, roaches and rats. After rain falls you can actually see all the rodents and maggots crawling in the road way along with the garbage,” she lamented.

Edwards explained that over the years they have been pleading with the corporation, and after a while the corporation installed a cage around the bins to secured it from stray dogs pulling at the garbage, but due to the amount of residents in the community the bins over flows with garbage.

“Everyday I come out of my house I have to clean up garbage from in front my house and it is very unbearable now. We are at the corner and are terribly affected by the bins being at the corner. We would like the corporation to remove the bins and place them elsewhere,” she said. Another resident who only gave his name as Brendon said he too is affected by the terrible odour from the garbage bins.

“I have drawn up a petition for everyone who are immediately affected by the garbage bins to sign it, so I can address it to the Minister of Health. Christmas is coming and the build-up of garbage is going to get worse.” He further stated, “We need these bins to be removed from the corner of Haig Street immediately.

There are a lot of children in the area and we are trying to prevent them from contacting any diseases.

There are flies, rats and roaches all over the place.” When the DMRC was contacted, chairman of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation, Chairman Katty Christopher was out on the field for the day.