Community development minister Gloria Shillingford, has raised concern with the “untidiness” evident around the country.
She says this is not in keeping with the nature island image Dominica is promoting and has called on communities to step-up.
“Visitors to our country are complaining about the untidiness that is seen as they travel around the country.” Shillingford said in her remarks at the inauguration of the Pichelin village council at the weekend.
“It is a fact that our country can no longer be considered to be beautiful and unspoilt, when there is litter all around our communities and garbage heaps along the very routes that visitors must take to enter and exit the tourism sites,” she said.
Thee minister said village councils must establish measures to ensure proper management of garbage within their districts.
“I would fully support the imposition of penalties where possible, on persons who would seek to foil efforts to achieve this worthwhile aim… We want to promote Dominica as being not only green but clean and green,” Shillingford underscored.
Dominica wasn nasty like that before. all you forget about when them man take out them big iron dust bin and instead they go and bobol for those small plastic dustbin and pay ten times the normal price from the primeminister padna. Is them and there bobol that have the nature isle looking like the rubbish isle in their mor, and they want to say fing. at least do all you bobol but get a good dust bin nah with a good size that dozn full back up as the truck pass and empty it and then people have to leave their bag of rubbish on the side of the bin whole weekend. and another thing, why they take out those dust bin that was inside them wooden thing on the bayfront, where people going and put their kfc box now? it doh have nowhere to put it but inside the fountain.
I agree 100% with ITASSIAN.
I agree 100% with ITASSIAN. Nothing else to add.
I think the biggest problem is education…starting from early childhood. I've had to scold many children for careeless littering. But again its behavior they are copying from adults; you have a piece of garbage just throw it anywhere. WE need a major awareness campaign.
Then you have our garbage collecting system…bags of garbage just sitting by the roadside waiting for dogs to come and tear up. Proper garbage bins need to be enforced.
AND PEOPLE PLEASE KEEP YOUR GARBAGE IN YOUR VEHICLE AND NOT TOSS IT OUT THE WINDOW!!
The litter problem must be addressed from many fronts and not only from the stand point of village councils. This is not a village council problem but a national one. Several factors can be credited for the state of affairs regarding litter disposal in Dominica.
First of them is a lack of national pride exhibited by Dominicans. Gone are the days when everyone took pride in keeping their homes and communities clean. We have just become a bunch of nasty litter bugs.
A second reason is that there are many laws( the litter act being one on them) which are not enforced. Police officers are supposed to be law officers who implement the laws of the land but they take no part in enforcing the litter act. There were authorized officers under the Litter Act but they are unable to exercise their powers because the Law is incomplete and therefore ineffective and requires revision. How can we expect authorized officers to implement a Law in which they have no power of apprehension. Isn't that a power given to the Police? Then they are the ones who should be enforcing the law because they can arrest people. Public vehicles are supposed to have litter bins yet everyday you see people flinging bottles and cans from windows of public vehicles. Who are supposed to monitor those vehicles and ensure that they are provided with those litter bins?
I am sure that people would begin to change if a few persons are made examples of . The fines must also be increased so that it can serve as a deterrent. I recall in the old days we used to have special constables in the various communities . Maybe they should revisit this idea and employ those officers as litter wardens as well.
Thirdly, the local authorities should obtain litter bins or baskets and locate them at strategic points in the town and villages so that people can dispose of small items of litter.
We can no longer boast of being the Nature Island because most things aren't natural anymore. Even those ugly quarries that are springing up along our coasts have tarnished the beauty of our beautiful island. To get a very good sense of the extent of littering taking place in Dominica, just find yourself along the coast after some very heavy rains and you will see the amount of bottles, cans, plastics and styrofoam cups and plates that find their way to the sea. We can not longer enjoy a bath on our beaches because they are littered with all kinds of debris some brought there by storms but many left deposited by people using those beaches.
The island is quickly degenerating into what may very soon be called Litter Island. But we can change things around, if we educate and then prosecute people who disregard the Litter Laws. In addition the powers that be must assign responsibility to the police to enforce the Litter Act.
You do not “burn” your garbage unless you have proper incineration facilities. By “proper” I mean with means of dealing with the waste products including the gases that are released and potential carcinogens.
Do you not remember the problems that were caused to the cruise ship industry by the burning of rubbish at Fond Cole?
I totally agree that this problem needs to be addressed, and addressed NOW, and taken seriously. I also hope that the government, village councils, churches, etc. are playing their part by placing small garbage bins at several locations where individuals can conveniently dispose their trash, and that these bins are emptied regularly. Residents needs to be responsible. For example, if you have trash in your car, simply hold it ( I place mine in a plastic bag in my car) until you see a trash bin where you can throw it. Another thing, stop urinating all over the place – I believe in penalty for that, but before penalty, toilets should be put in place – I think that's the government responsibility. Keep Dominica clean, it's good for the environment, good for you, and good for our visitors.
Not just village councils…. the Dominica Solid Waste Management system needs to stick to it's schedule too!
Thank you for standing up for the environment! Prevention is better than cure. Don't Mess with Dominica!
I agree with you, Mrs. Shillingford. If we are the Nature Island whoee main income depend on Tourism, why have we becom litter bugs? We need to take pride in clenliness because that is a reflection on us as a people. We must try our best to keep our communities clean and that begins even at home. As far as garbage,there can be a place on the land, or propert,y where a garbage site should be and debris can be burnt. I remember that we had a debris place when I was growing up and refuse was collected and burnt.
I know that when we come together there is strength and unity and we are all capable of keeping our island clean and keeping it the Nature Island as it is truly called.