Marabella West Councillor John Michael Gabriel Alibocus Calls for Urgent Action Over 30-Week Garbage Crisis
Marabella West Councillor John Michael Gabriel Alibocus is calling for immediate action to address what he describes as a worsening garbage crisis in his electoral district, claiming some areas have gone more than 30 weeks without proper bulk waste collection.
Speaking from John Street, Alibocus said he has repeatedly appealed to the San Fernando City Corporation, its Chief Executive Officer and fellow councillors for assistance but has received little support. He said he has formally raised the matter at council meetings at least six to seven times without a lasting solution.
According to Alibocus, he has coordinated the removal of at least 16 truckloads of garbage over the past 30 weeks by securing the temporary use of a backhoe and dump truck through the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, with assistance from Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen, whom he thanked for her support.
While acknowledging that some residents continue to dump waste illegally, Alibocus said the corporation’s failure to remove bulk waste promptly has encouraged more dumping and left communities dealing with growing piles of garbage.
He questioned the corporation’s deployment of resources, arguing that with hundreds of workers employed every fortnight, dedicated cleanup teams could be assigned to each electoral district to tackle the backlog more efficiently.
The councillor warned that the situation has become a serious public health concern, saying accumulated garbage is attracting rats, insects, scorpions and other vermin, putting residents at risk.
Alibocus said he intends to continue documenting conditions throughout Marabella West to highlight what he believes is a lack of adequate support from the corporation. He also appealed to anyone able to assist with equipment, including a backhoe or dump truck, to help remove the mounting waste.
The San Fernando City Corporation has not yet publicly responded to the councillor’s allegations.
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