Public Called To Take More Pride In Keeping Communities Clean

Residents of Antigua and Barbuda are being urged to exercise more responsibility and pride in ensuring the country remains clean.

General Manager of the National Solid Waste Authority Indira James-Henry made the appeal while speaking on state media recently.

James-Henry mentioned that for the country to remain clean, homeowners must play a major role especially after the team has moved from their area.

“That’s a crucial part of this effort, and it is moving very, very, very slowly, I should say, because the community has not accepted that they are the ones that are responsible for keeping the community clean. It is just that simple. It is still very heavily reliant on the government, even in terms of just outside our homes.

“We pay someone to cut our yard, but we only want them to cut inside, and the front of the home is your responsibility. Even to the essence of your gutter in front of your home, if everybody was just doing their part, the reliance on this deep cleaning would not be necessary. Even when we have some bulk, we just throw it outside, or we throw it on the lot that is close to us,” James-Henry said.

“So, we want them to understand that they play a major role, and especially in the work that has been done and the efforts that has been put in, both financially and in terms of manpower, machinery, in order for us to see a difference, the community will have to take that ownership,” she added.

A major clean up campaign has been underway across the island where derelict vehicles have been removed.

Just last week, the National Solid Waste Authority along with the Antigua Barbuda Defence Force and the central Board of Health completed work in Yorks and have moved on to the Villa and Point communities.

They will also do a major clean up in the city.