Garbage cleanup begins in Valencia amid collection dispute

Work has begun to clear piles of garbage that accumulated across Valencia, after the contractor responsible for waste collection stopped servicing the area.

Sangre Grande Regional Corporation chairman Kenwyn Phillip was on the ground yesterday overseeing cleanup efforts, as corporation workers used trucks and a backhoe to remove garbage at sites throughout Valencia.

The cleanup comes as the dispute between the corporation and the contractor remains unresolved. Phillip previously said the contractor halted garbage collection after requesting an increase in payment, citing the growing number of squatting communities in the area.

Affected areas include Clarence Trace, Benne Road, Mark Trace and Paradise Lane. Residents have complained that garbage had gone uncollected for more than two weeks, creating foul odours and attracting flies, worms and rats.

In response, the corporation has been deploying its own trucks to remove the waste while officials work to determine how regular collection services can resume.

Several corporate citizens have also provided trucks to assist with the cleanup effort.

One resident said community members are expected to attend a corporation meeting today to voice their concerns and press for a lasting solution to the problem.

“I expect that members of the Valencia community will attend to voice their concerns and seek a solution to this issue. We have passed the stage of sitting quietly and accepting this type of nonsense that is taking place,” the resident said.

Phillip said he was awaiting word on the outcome of a meeting involving the corporation’s CEO and procurement officer to determine the way forward.He said the corporation’s intervention was necessary to prevent the growing accumulation of waste from becoming a more serious public health hazard.