A $400 million allocation in the 2024 budget to continue management of the Haags Bosch garbage landfill site was approved by the Parliamentary Committee of Supply on Thursday with Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Sonia Parag telling Parliamentarians that monies will be spent on further upgrading the facility.
The minister was asked about addressing the stench emanating from the dumpsite that is affecting inhabitants of housing schemes and industrial buildings close to the Eccles, East Bank Demerara facility.
Opposition MP and Shadow Minister of Local Government Ganesh Mahipaul is one of those persons who live close by and posed the question. He said even commuters using the new Heroes Highway are affected.
The $400 million for Haags Bosch is an increase of $100 million from the $300 million budgeted in 2023.
“What are the measures to stop the high stench inhaled by residents?” Mahipaul asked.
“We are building more cells and putting in operation systems,” the minister responded.
Separately, $1.3 billion is budgeted to purchase waste management equipment and to upgrade the landfill site.
The exchange included updates on six new dumpsites created last year and more to be added this year.
Only Wednesday night, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill told MPs that the dumpsite will not be there forever, hinting that it will be closed in the long term.
This is to make way for the massive construction of new hotels and government towers/complexes to be built on the nearby Eccles to Mandela highway and the Ogle to Haags Bosch road.
“That area is heavily smelly especially when it rains,” Opposition Parliamentarian Annette Ferguson said as she quizzed Edghill on an environmental impact assessment for the new $15 billion government complex to be constructed.
“We wouldn’t forever dump garbage at Eccles… we have development in mind,” Edghill said.
The minister said all over the world dumpsites and even in Guyana, cane fields, are being transformed into livable areas.
