[www.inewsguyana.con] – The Ministry of Communities is in the process of developing a remedial action plan to ensure sound environmental management of the Haags Bosch Landfill at Eccles. The site which was designed to function as a sanitary landfill is now operating below its design purpose.
A statement from the Ministry noted that the operation resulted in negative impacts to both adjoining communities and the environment. The project, which was initially funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), has seen the threatened withdrawal of the bank’s involvement over the way the project is currently being executed.
“The project, initially conceptualised to be managed by the Georgetown Municipality, is now managed by central government, since it was expanded to include several Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) on the East Coast and East Bank Demerara, as well as three NDCs on the West Demerara.”
According to the Ministry, the contract for the construction and management of the landfill was awarded to a BK International and Puran Brothers Disposal Services. Utilisation of the landfill was fast tracked since the open dump formerly operated in Le Repentir Cemetery was at its capacity.
The current state of operations at the landfill site and the factors which led to its current state were detailed in a presentation to the Ministry of Communities on June 4 by Mr. Gordon Gilkes, Project Director of Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme who identified several non-compliant items related to operations at the site.
It was noted that these items included the absence of a treatment abatement lagoon, a landfill gas management system and the application of daily cover to the landfill. In addition, soil excavated from several locations onsite, intended for use as daily cover, was diverted, with the agreement of the executing agency, to another location for use not related to landfill management.
You know what bothers me, this same landfill had a big issue with the contractor having his way and a certain engineer was taken to court when he said the contractor had a few dilapidated machines and claimed one million us payments to which he objected. He was immediately relived of his portfolio by Sam Hinds. The guy had to get his own lawyer to represent him. What a shame.
Investigate what went wrong with Haags Bosh and why it was not built to specification. This is definitely a can of worms.
”In addition, soil excavated from several locations onsite, intended for use as daily cover, was diverted, with the agreement of the executing agency, to another location for use not related to landfill management”….This is the typical behavior of many of the former Administration officials…..dem covet ‘dirt’.
In many communities communal dams were bulldozed and the earth removed and sold with the connivance of Local government officials. Over-topping is now common in many areas..
Modernise the the incinerator, I keep saying