Dear Editor,
The way I see it, all responsible agencies, including the EPA, have failed to protect our country’s environment from littering and irresponsible dumping of garbage. People still dump garbage wherever they want and nothing is being done to stop this vice. When you travel along several community roads in Providence, sometimes you can actually witness people tossing garbage from cars with nobody stopping or reprimanding them. I guess they are of the view that ‘what eye na see, heart na bun’—if no one sees them, then there is no harm.
There is no clear law to check this primitive behaviour, but we have existing agencies which should be policing areas for such behaviours. When you visit areas on the East Bank, you will notice that there are heaps of garbage that remain uncollected for several days. Some of this garbage is dumped in bags, while some are just dumped on the roadsides. There is even an entire burnt out car sitting on the side of the road. As a matter of fact, there is what can be described as a ‘mini Haags Bosch’ developing. Some residents have reported that they have witnessed dump trucks off-loading on the sides of the road after dark, when the dump site is closed.
Why on earth would you want to close off the operations of the dump site? Do we stop producing garbage after hours? A once scenic area has become nothing more than another dumping ground which, when it starts to rot, stinks up the area.
I can vaguely remember the anti-litter laws which were touted some time back. Whatever happened there? Does the law only apply to those found littering in central areas? Or is it a case of out of sight, out of mind? Perhaps they can institute a ‘shame them campaign’ where the citizens themselves can become the watchdogs.
There has also been an active campaign to keep our country clean, which is not the case in Providence. It is time all agencies, EPA and Local Government agencies do something to protect our country and all of its citizens from irresponsible garbage disposal and littering.
Sincerely,
A concerned
Providence resident
