The Environmental Health Department has been actively monitoring the island for improper waste disposal, particularly illegal dumping, which, it says, poses significant environmental and health risks.
“Waste disposal across Dominica has been a grave concern for us all,” said Environmental Health Officer Kursha Augustine in an audio statement.
The statement also emphasized the importance of responsible waste handling among residents and offered several recommendations for residents to help combat this issue. Namely, citizens are urged to refrain from discarding bulky items such as trees, tires, appliances, and electronic devices in ravines, rivers, or open areas. Instead, they should adopt waste reduction practices, including recycling and reusing materials whenever possible. Also, composting food scraps for backyard gardens is recommended as an eco-friendly alternative to adding organic waste to collection bins.
Residents are encouraged by the ministry to report illegal dumping activities to local authorities, the Solid Waste Management Corporation, the Environmental Health Department, or their village councils. Community participation in organized cleanup campaigns is vital. After cleanup efforts, waste should be properly bagged and disposed of through the official waste management system to prevent re-dumping and the spread of pests.
“Remember we are in the hurricane season, let’s ensure we dispose our waste properly so we don’t create breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rats that spread diseases,” stated Augustine.
Maintaining cleanliness not only protects public health but also helps preserve the beauty and safety of communities, urged the officer.
The Environmental Health Department underscores that improper waste disposal harms both the environment and public health. Pests attracted by unmanaged waste can carry and spread dangerous illnesses, pollute vital water sources, and degrade community spaces, making them unsafe and unsightly.
In closing, the Ministry urged all residents to take simple yet effective steps—such as proper waste disposal and participation in community cleanups—to keep Dominica clean, healthy, and resilient during this hurricane season. Protecting our environment and health is a collective responsibility.
The three (3) most important things in the governance of a country are Education, Health and Security in no particular order.
This lacklustre regime has come in for some most scathing criticisms and rightly so. There has been no mentioned of a regular scheduled of collection of garbage for each community. Nothing about the long periods of closure of the landfill which has long served its time and should be replaced.
When there is no regular scheduled collection, when the landfill is closed for months, what do you expect? People will find legal or illegal ways of ridding their
premises of waste.
Get with the new trucks, get with firm collection time and get with a new landfill that will be always open. Too much ineptness!
Dear lady, I concur with all you said. However, such advice must be done on a fortnightly schedule using all communication avenues available. In other words, put the population under à blitz
Kindest regards.