Stakeholders address environment condition in Roseau

Tourists from a cruise ship walk around garbage in Roseau recently

Several stakeholders have partnered to create public awareness of the illegal disposal of waste and the state of the environment in Roseau.

During a press conference by the stakeholders on Wednesday, Mayor of Roseau, Cecil Joseph was particularly hard on restaurant owners in the city urging them to adhere to the environmental laws of the country.

According to Joseph, these food establishments have contributed tremendously to the stench in the city.

“I would like to send a serious signal to restaurant owners in the city … I would appreciate that they too come to the assistance of the Roseau City Council,” the mayor said.

Joseph said Roseau City Council workers flush the city three times a week but the stench persists. “The stench is because of the fact that  there is a lot of gray matter from the restaurant owners … Pearl’s, Guiyave, Orchards …  and also residential people  and I would appreciate that these restaurant owners create a grease trap … a grease trap doesn’t cost you more than $250 … that grease trap will be able to trap a lot of your debris and will assist us,” he noted.

Meanwhile Chief Environmental Health Officer, Anthony Scotland, said the environment in Roseau has deteriorated and systems must be put in place to address that. “It must be noted that the environment has completely deteriorated in Roseau and we think that as the Nature Island, the time has come for us to seriously put our act together to ensure we maintain a clean environment,” he said.

He called on the government to establish what he described as “a brigade of environment Health police” to monitor the environment in Roseau. “A system has to be put in place and people have to be held accountable for their actions,” he said.

Stakeholders involved in the awareness campaign include Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation, The Environmental Health Department, Roseau City Council and the Discover Dominica Authority.

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62 Comments

  1. Roughcake
    January 12, 2013

    Everyone has had their say.What about the buses and passengers,they are also responsible for choking up and messing up Roseau streets.There should be two bus stations,one on each end of the city with proper timetabling and regulating.How nice it would be to be able to walk through the capital without diesel fumes and smelly drains !!!

  2. Anonymous
    January 11, 2013

    Anyway, so far no mention of all the vendors that operate throughout Roseau on every sidewalk (except those outside Government Headquarters because yeah all of a sudden the Police have no problem establishing zoning). Anyway, the vendors dump all their waste not just into the gutters but outside businessplaces and in any corner they find even those with signs stating no dumping. Not just the Chinese ignoring signs.

    And, reading another article on DNO where Government is also blaming the vagrants for the filth BUT, they didnt name any vagrants though 8-O So yeah, it’s the 2 dozen vagrants and 3 restuarants that are to blame for the filth and nastiness of Roseau.

  3. My take
    January 11, 2013

    Is the Mayor aware of the fact that the very restaurants he pointed fingers at in his news conference pay for ‘private’ garbage collection

    Are those restaurants also to be held responsible for the broken drains/gutters in front of their premises, or is that the responsibilty of the RCC?

    Cracked and broken drains do not allow for the constant free flow of water. Grey water/dirty water will always sit right there in the broken gutters.

    Voila, enough said.

    • Anonymous
      January 11, 2013

      Do the vendors pay for garbage collection? How is their garbage disposed of daily?

  4. islandboy@
    January 10, 2013

    can i correct TOURE..blogger… Castries doesnt have any more STREET WARDENS aka police zoudiee..the last time we had these street police was in the late 1980ss.. Castries is my home and it is just as dirty.. there are a few streets that are kept clean but with housing apartments smack in the middle of the city of castries st lucia.. the tenants are unclean,and keep the town filthy.. so roseau and castries both need to address their waste problems esp for our citizens sake and tourists visitors.. afterall we say we are natural paradise islands and when visitors see both roseau and castries they expect the brochures to live up to the names

  5. Anonymous
    January 10, 2013

    :i love Dominica and i hope something is done soon i have read the comments and its heart breaking not for only for the people of roseau but for the whole of Dominica iam not from DA but for the love of the island i say do something fast. I CARE ST MAARTEN WITH LOVE

  6. BULLDOZER
    January 10, 2013

    Roseau = Cha Cha= bulldozer

    Today I was in town and lamented on the dump we call a city. Filth all over the damn place. Unsightly drains, with people quass in it.

    They need to remove all residential living in the city, bulldozer the buildings and start afresh. with an actual PLAN!

    This place is worse than ancient and not in an egyptian way, they actually had a vision.

    I hate this town.

    lack of good stores or shops. not even a proper mall!

    did i say i hate this town?

  7. Aye
    January 10, 2013

    Cecil ran out of ideas! It’s time for someone who has new ideas and new vision. Mayor reintroduce stand pipes in the the city. The city drainage system is horrible. We have suicide pits rather than curb and gutters. His takes a lot from the entire beautification of the city. Introduce metered parking in the city. No parking on side walks, use the meter attendants to police their beats. This will cost money ut you have to spend money to make money. Give the tourist incentives to spend their buck with a comfortable city.

  8. My two cents
    January 10, 2013

    I wish to point out that most of the buildings in the city that now house restaurants, were not built with restaurants in mind.

    Has his worship the Mayor ever approached any of the restaurant owners (not only those whom he has pointed fingers at) to discuss/propose the use of a grease trap to them? Does he have a sample of a grease trap to demonstrate how it is used and where one can be procured?

    Will he recommend to the powers that be, that those grease traps be brought in ” VAT & DUTY FREE” as an incentive for purchase by the many restaurant and snackette owners around the city?

    Mr. Mayor, it is not the restaurant owners only to lay the blame on. Lots of folks walk around Roseau (male) and pull up on a wall, beside a vehicle or wherever to uriniate. Don’t you see that too as a cause of the stench?

    Lay the blame fair and square, not just on the backs of certain restaurant owners as there are many restaurants and snackettes around the capital city of Roseau.

    Ah, magwais sa!!!!

  9. bird
    January 10, 2013

    makes me laugh 28 million on a state house but the roads pavements are in an awful state, and the smell in town is awful the cock roach are ge
    tting bigger than dogs and the smell is even worse when it rain, i am disgusted at the state of the capital, we dont have much going for us, no trade, no tourist, but crime

    • Anonymous
      January 11, 2013

      Not only that, Skerrit had the choice between the State Palace and cleaning up the capital of country, including putting in pavements, to make Roseau more user-friendly and investment-friendly and he with all his wisdom chooses the non-revenue generating option of what? drum roll please – the State Palace 8-O

  10. xxx
    January 10, 2013

    Maybe the government of Dominica can implement a recycling system.

    • Anonymous
      January 11, 2013

      And the first thing to be recycled using the brand new recylcing system will be the current Government :mrgreen:

  11. Concerned
    January 10, 2013

    The city should have its own garbage truck to do collections twice daily.

  12. V.I Resident
    January 10, 2013

    yes Dominica you to get the garbage officers from public works

  13. V.I Resident
    January 10, 2013

    @ straight talk I agree with you 100% we have the same here in the in the V.I the public work officers patrol the entire Island and any where that they site garbage outside of a building especially resturants they get out of the car and go straight to that business establishment and other them to take that garbage out from the outside of the building and on top of that that business place still getting a citation and you better believe later they will by around tou see if they will caught you agpain.IReally think. Dominic need to have that it would really help

  14. BabyGirl!
    January 10, 2013

    It can have a garbage bin close by they still throwing the garbage on the ground or in drains.. Hve been to dca but not from there…Alas poor country smh!!!

  15. T mama
    January 10, 2013

    MR Mayor…..PLEASE inform Solid Waste that they should give the garbage collectors brooms and shovels, they pick up the rubbish and do not clean, on of them said he is not being paid to sweep….and charge those who put out thei gabbage too early…

  16. KaKa
    January 10, 2013

    As long as all that garbage is far away from the soon to finish $27mil State House….. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

  17. TO FLOWER
    January 10, 2013

    Please display some class in your posts. This is a public forum read by people all over the world, not your personal bbm.

  18. may
    January 10, 2013

    I hope they do the same with Portsmouth for a second town it’s just a bad.

  19. Anonymous
    January 10, 2013

    Honestly if I start talking/writing….I may go on forever, that problem is a very big and stinky one….which has been a concern way back when…and something must be done very unhealthy….hurt and burns the eyes….

  20. Buullshit
    January 10, 2013

    I didn’t read one comment on here. It takes too much of my time. MAKE IT A LAW AND ARREST THEM IF THEY DO NOT FOLLOW IT….PERIOD………………..

  21. Honest
    January 10, 2013

    The stakeholders are all public sector, why is the private sector not included.
    It is not fair to blame the Restaurant owners, the Roseau sewage system was designed to accommodate all grey water, all that needed to be done was to get the necessary connections from the kitchen and showers into the sewage system.
    DOWASCO had millions of Dollars to connect the slum areas of Virgin Lane to the system, these funds were returned to the funding agent.
    Hundreds, if not thousands, of school children commute through Virgin Lane daily, the gutters stink of human excreta and the street is littered with dog faeces, so blaming the restaurants is finding a scapegoat.
    Both the government and the city council do not have the testicular fortitude to take action.
    Here are five simple solutions:
    1. in 2013 people in a city should not be emptying their waste in the gutters. Gov’t take action.
    2. Implement the connection of all waste water into the sewage system.
    3. Get the dogs off the streets.
    4. Put the criminals at the state prison into use, get them to clean the city daily with Roseau City Council flushing.
    5. Get rid of all the abandoned shacks and rodent infested properties.

  22. Anonymous
    January 10, 2013

    Such a shame, Roseau has been stinking stinking for years. Even before I left Dominica I recall that I would drive just from my place of work at Government Headquarters to buy my lunch just so that I did not have to walk in the smelling city. It is really bad and anyone who walks in Roseau knows this. The Mayor should be ashamed of himself, why say that these restaurants ar ethe culprits and not deal with them. Action is what is needed not talk, if they or anyone else are guilty then fine them, or shut them down for a day if need be till they fix it. That is how things are done, you are the MAyor, part of the governement and you are there to do a job. Do it, stop crying about how often you cleaning the streets. If you need to get the law amended to give you more teeth then lobby for that and get it done but stop crying and blaming people. Are these three restarurants the only ones that are guilty ???????? I am sure they are not.

  23. OH MY
    January 10, 2013

    start charging them, make them pay and all the others will adhere and comply

    • yes 2 cents
      January 10, 2013

      what if the garbage was placed there the night before for collection and the collectors never came as usual.especially in the outdistricts

  24. Lindsey from UK
    January 10, 2013

    Firstly i would like to say i have never met such lovely people as i have when i visited Dominica a while ago, the interior of the islandis the most beautiful i have ever seen.
    I was on a cruise and stopped in dominca, and i have to say out of all the Islands we visited Domincas port and capital was the most dirty and smelly, and the people i have to say in the caribbean where the loveliest, but i put me off and i would not contemplate staying in your capital, and the other hotels on the island i have looked at on the other side are far to expensive which is sad as we would love to come back, clean up and i think you will have non stop people returning, as the people are so lovely.

    • January 10, 2013

      To Lindsey from UK. You said that the capital Roseau is dirty and smelly and that you would not visit Dominica again. Well what would you say about New York where there is rats roaming the place like people. Garbage all over the place and some parts of New York smell worst than Roseau but yet still tourist flood New York. All they do is talk about the rats. Just two days ago on my way from work walking to the bus stop a rat was running between people feet on the side walk like it didn’t care someone crushed it up. People just started laughing and saying did you just see that a big rat among people it must be going shopping.
      I do agree that the Mayor has to take drastic action and implement and uphold the laws to keep the city clean but Roseau is not the worst of all.

      • Lindsey from UK
        January 11, 2013

        I understand your point but NYC is famous for lots and there is lots to offer tourist, i have been on valentines to NYC and yes places smelled bad , i didnt really enjoy china town at night as there was a lot of rubbish about, but NYC has luxuary hotels as Dominica but affordable. and you have shopping,broadway the empire state building,statue of liberty, which makes people not mind, same as my home town of London, i just think Dominicas main attraction is the lovely people and how beautiful your rain forest are, but thats all it has to encourage people so i think a speacil effort would be made to encourage tourist to get off the cruise ships, as i know that only a third got off our ship in dominica, where pretty much al got off on other islands, thats all i meant

  25. HG
    January 10, 2013

    Restaurants no doubt also share that responsiblity to help keep Roseau clean,but mentioning some locally owned Restaurants by name and deliberately leaving out the chinese owned Restaurants/businesses who contribute much more garbage is shameful.If language is an issue in explaining where/how garbage is to be disposed off,then get a local who studied in China and may speak the language to explain to them what the Town council rules are.The chinese store owners renting the ground floor of Kent Anthony’s guest house and others in the area dump their garbage at the corner of Grt.Marlborough and Old street directly under a sign that reads “No dumping here by Order”…That sign appears to be from the Town Council,but nothing is said about it to those in the area responsible.I have seen Tourists taking pictures so they can go back to their countries and show their friends some of the ‘GROSS CONTRADICTIONS’.This unsightly scene and others like that the mayor should also be addressing.Garbage in the “center” of Roseau opposite a Hotel,a Travel agency,a major bank and other businesses.Solid Waste and Town council should stop fighting each other and do what’s right.I’m rather astonished the Tourism board isn’t involved and raising a rancour about this.

  26. hmmm
    January 10, 2013

    That picture disgust me.

    And allu wonder why tourism is in decline in Dominica.

    Honestly… who would want to walk around garbage like that.

    Clean up the damn place – that’s just disgusting.

  27. Straight Talk
    January 10, 2013

    In many cities/municipalities around the world employ their own law enforcement officers and that does not mean Police alone but other individuals given responsibilities for enforcing the city codes and ordinances. Maybe the Mayor should make a recommendation to government to have it own city council enforcement officers.
    What happened to the Litter Act?. Mr Scotland must recommend to government to employ Litter Wardens to enforce the Litter Act. I am yet to read on DNO about any one being prosecuted for under the Litter Act. We call Dominica Nature Island but it looks more like Litter Island when you see garbage heaps spread over different parts of the country but more specifically around the city.

  28. Sammy
    January 10, 2013

    the drains are also stinking. how many times are we going to have this discussion, we already know the problem.

  29. January 10, 2013

    u all want to put measure n place i will give u all two and with the two u the city council can make alot of money.
    1.ticket these restaurant owners($250.00)everytime they don`t dispose their garbage properly
    2.mr mayor i heard u gave all these reason why you can`t take an abandon vehicle .you have to go threw this and that. get a nice peice of land a tow truck tow these vehicle there and who wants their vehicle back let them pay for it.

  30. Cares for nothing
    January 10, 2013

    Mayor just full of talk, they should disbarn RCC. City Clerk cannot take a decision without the mayor because the mayor will get vex. Food Vendors all over the place even over gutters and is okay with the mayor, because is his Roseau. Lord have mercy.

  31. Anonymous
    January 10, 2013

    It’s about time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  32. Fedup
    January 10, 2013

    To the Mayor and Mr Scotland. This is empty talk. Citizens have complained over and over and you all do nothing. Stop the damn talkshop for once and do the work that you all have been designated to do.

  33. Future
    January 10, 2013

    I believe the restaurant owners need to “man up” and take up this responsibility to aid in the fight for Roseau to maintain a tolerable scent. As a capital its supposed to be the cleanest and most well maintained part of the country but that’s possie in my opinion. The Government should take a few lessons from the portsmouth Improvement Committee or something.

  34. Jackie Brown
    January 10, 2013

    Eye soring. Where has the city council been? Did they have to wait for the stakeholders meeting before doing something? If these food establishmdent are not paying business rate or are paying enough maybe it should be slap on them.

  35. Easy T
    January 10, 2013

    –Roseau Major,
    —Stakeholderproblems ?
    Think Major ,
    :idea: :?: solution :?: :?: ————— ———-Environ- POLICE :!: :!: for Roseau.

    —a law is not a law IF YOU don’t control it !!!—

  36. Too Sot
    January 10, 2013

    Bring back ‘Solomon’

    Most of all you probably too young to know what I talking about, but some may remember ‘Solomon’

    In those days nobody was above the law & we were all afraid of solo.

    • flower
      January 10, 2013

      at that time Roseau residents poopoo in tin and throw in the the sea. Where is now the Cruise Ship Beuf

    • Distured
      January 10, 2013

      sounds good…NO, VERY GOOD!

      We need copies, clones, re-takes of this guy and place him as head of state too.

      less corruption…for a few years.

  37. Concerned
    January 10, 2013

    To many stray dogs to. In the mornings the place is a mess as one walks the streets. Also the vagrants contributes a lot to the untidiness of the city.

  38. Peacock
    January 10, 2013

    Eh, Eh … better late than never.

  39. fil
    January 10, 2013

    Tourists should not be walking into this from a cruise ship, comeon that’s a real shame. Scotland and Joseph wake up you all sleep too much.

  40. May.
    January 10, 2013

    You all were blind? I wonder what made you all opened your eyes. Come on people do something honestly speaking Roseau stink. Good do like NY give them ticket for not keeping their business side walk clean.

  41. Anonymous
    January 10, 2013

    ‘The city is flushed three times a week”.
    The entire city? or a limited section of the city?
    Mr. Mayor, please advise, because, I can’t recall
    seeing Turkey Lane, or Jewel Street,or the lower section of Bath Road, or the upper section of River Street, or the upper section of the River Bank, or the section of Virgin Lane by the church, or Castle street, or … Good God, I could
    go on and on, being flushed not even once a week!
    There are other areas for example, areas where urine is deposited, for example, directly at the back of the city council office!, areas where cars are washed and their debris left on the roadside, that also need flushing. What about engine oil
    that is deposited along the roadside from poorly maintained motor cars? What about the roadside
    motor mechanics who leave unwanted motor parts like used brake pads, empty motor oil plastic bottles in the drains after use?
    Please Mr. Mayor, it is not only the areas where
    food / eating houses are located that need attention.

    • Distured
      January 10, 2013

      try once a month…there is some truth for ya.

  42. SadIndeed
    January 10, 2013

    Also the City Council should encourage the Solid Waste Company to pick up the rubbish on time and at 5:00am; it is better that way the sun hasn’t come up and the streets aren’t crowded with pedestrians. I do believe that the collection of rubbish in the city should be a key factor to address especially during this tourist season

  43. Patriot
    January 10, 2013

    I agree with the recommendation Scotland made concerning the recruitment of City Police to ensure that businesses and properties in the Municipality adhere to best health and clean environment practices.Looking back at the early 1960s we had this system in place.Officers like Rawle,Solomon Scotland,Father Bouzaie and Martin patrolling the Municipality and ensuring that each household and business followed City Health Regulations.Persons who contravened were prosecuted.

  44. Agatha
    January 10, 2013

    For one thing, there should be precise times (days and hours) when the public is allowed to put out their garbage, and garbage should be properly wrapped.
    There should be synchronization of the times when the garbage is put out and the times when it is collected. I have seen garbage put out at close of the business day with the view of catching the collection system that is expected sometime up to the following morning. That may or may not happen. In the meantime dogs and parroes have a field day opening into the bags and boxes to collect their idea of goodies – from food to plastics. The result is a total smelly, unhealthy eyesore that nationals and visitors alike must negotiate to walk in our town. Not good enough!

  45. sphinx
    January 10, 2013

    bel piblicité pou nou

  46. DESIE
    January 10, 2013

    See Shilingfords, That building make it time.
    Time to demolish that an construct something modern

    • Anonymous
      January 10, 2013

      Yes of ocurse lots of thumbs up to tear down historical architecture to put up what in place? Dominicans favourite concrete and ugly balustrade? or better yet a skycraper made of all glass?

      Shillingfords needs renovating to uplift the original facade but internally they can modernize all they want.

  47. B_Arch
    January 10, 2013

    Dominica has architects and urban planners why are they not included in the solution; why aren’t they consulted?

  48. Discombobulated
    January 10, 2013

    So they don’t know that each business establishment should all have huge bins for their rubbish? And furthermore, rubbish in the CITY should be collected every night / early morning once businesses close so that at the start of business the following morning, the city will be clean. Also, the rubbish would not have time to smell if it is collected every day. There are two problems with that however, the cost of the bins / who would provide them and the cost of rubbish collection. I can assume the govt / council can supply big lockable bins at a small rental cost to cover the bin cost and replacements etc. That could also contribute to rubbish collection fees / salary for the rubbish man. $20 / $30 a month wouldnt harm a business. The main issue is the collection of the rubbish late evening and early morning. Dominicans do not like to work once it is 5pm+. Night work and early morning work is frouned upon in this country.

  49. MRS.CLEAN
    January 10, 2013

    is the goverment building the same thing like the one i see on the street of roseau? roseau is a very nasty place.

  50. A Concerned Returnee
    January 10, 2013

    Typical !!!
    Matters like this and NOT ONE comment!!
    I think it’s about time The Environmental Health Department, Roseau City Council and the Discover Dominica
    Authority has Meetings and Discussions on the state of our Town Roseau.
    Its absolutely appalling to see the main town looking like a dump site every day. Now, if I’m an returnee thinking this, what on earth do you think the tourist are thinking?
    I wish to see our Island Main Town ROSEAU looking presentable, clean and a joy to walk through, and I wish the people of Dominica can and will make this happen. Its no point having the logo “I AM DOMINICA; ARE YOU?” In that case. This logo must be representing on how we live too?
    I hope this 2013 can be the start to progress and to maintain a ‘CLEAN and HEALTHIER ROSEAU’
    Come on DoMiNiCaNs make yourselves PROUD !!

  51. Toure
    January 10, 2013

    For a longtime I’ve been advocating to follow St. Lucia and get litter Wardens, Lucians being sarcastic and upset calls them [Polis Sordee ] but these men and women will chase you down if you drop any rubbish in Castries .

    Something has to be done about Roseau , stop blaming and put in place mechanisms to arrest the utter nonsense that is happening.Too much talk , let’s start charging and jailing some people .

    It’s very disheartening and shameful to read what people are saying about the Nature Island .Dominicans are we that nasty and Par Melee ? I think not , we are way , way better than that .If the Government don’t want to take the bull by the
    horn , we the citizens that care about our Country Health and Image must do the right thing .So I say hooray for a step in the right direction and keep the momentum because for 2013 “Roseau should and will be clean “.

  52. Citizen
    January 10, 2013

    That’s one of the problems and the other is not enough toilet facilities in town where tourists and bus drivers and other common folk can let go their bodily waste .
    Even in these modern times you find people pissing on side walks and behind vehicles thus causing drains to smell .
    There is no program co currently where drains can be flushed out at least to keep the smell at a low.
    Yes we as citizens must play our part and I know it is a challenge but still I think if it is done with efficiency and frequency we can solve this problem together by imposing fines so the Brigade police can get paid with no cost or minimal cost to the tax payer .
    Garbage and sewage go hand in hand you can’t try to fix garbage problem and not fix sewage problems the gutters in Roseau smell very pungent when the sun hits it’s max .
    Please I urge the relevant authorities to do something about sewage and smelly gutters because tourists also are taking note and tourism is every bodies business .
    Kindly oblige.

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