Clean up or face penalties- M&CC tells La Penitence vendors

Vendors at the La Penitence Market are being warned that fines and possible suspension of permits are on the table if they continue to leave piles of garbage behind after selling.

Director of Solid Waste Management, Walter Narine, told this newspaper that despite access to proper disposal facilities, vendors repeatedly leave heaps of waste and spoiled goods at their stalls. The most recent case was on Sunday, when City Council workers had to step in to clean up the market area.

Narine explained that while stall rents cover a designated space, they do not include garbage disposal. Vendors, he said, are expected to remove their own waste and take it to a static compactor located just a few metres away. “We pay $30,000 every day to clean the garbage. All the vendors are expected to clean up and take it to the compactor,” he stressed.

The Solid Waste Director noted that these repeated interventions place unnecessary strain on the Council’s resources. He has recommended a consultation with vendors to set clear rules, adding that “severe action” such as fines or suspensions may be necessary to bring the situation under control.

Illegal dumping and poor waste disposal remain longstanding issues in the city, despite the Georgetown M&CC having more than 33 operational garbage trucks, a tractor and environmental workers. The Council also allocates about $500 million annually to waste collection.

Government has provided subventions to the M&CC and has itself stepped in at times to clean the city and bring relief to residents.