St Catherine needs urgent attention

THE EDITOR Sir: THE VIOLENCE-PLAGUED parish of St Catherine, and in particular, Spanish Town, needs to be urgently included in the national dialogue because of the social and economic degradation which have made it difficult for its citizens to enjoy a civilised and healthy existence.

Television Jamaica (TVJ) recently carried a news item on the pile-up/non-collection of garbage in the parish. The escalation is now a public nuisance even as business persons and residents voice their disgust with the intolerable situation. Not only is the smell a big problem, but they also fear the spread of diseases.

The parish is looking at a serious sanitation crisis that requires immediate intervention. No one knows for sure what makes up this waste because the country is not currently engaged in waste separation, so apart from domestic waste, there may be medical waste, electronic waste and even carcases included among the make-up.

The garbage pile-up is in plain view of everyone including tourists, and most naturally, negatively affect economic activities in the area. The situation now begs the question: ‘Does anyone really care?’

The twin social ills of non-collection of garbage and crime, while not unique to St Catherine, stand out like a sore thumb ready to destroy the rich legacy of the parish.

Please allow me, as a concerned citizen to implore stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Tourism, the ministries of information and culture, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, and the persons living, working and doing business in the area to rise up, stand up, and take action to restore and invest in the parish in a more meaningful way. PAMELA V. LOWE gladina10@yahoo.com