Leader of a parliamentary delegation from the Netherlands paying a one-day visit Alexander Pechtold called it as he saw it (see related story): The county is littered with rubbish, most of it not from Irma.
Combined with the frequently-smoking, unhealthy landfills this creates a dirty, undesirable impression. Addressing the issue must get top priority, the Second Chamber member said.
To be sure, this situation exists despite great efforts to clean up the mess left after last September’s direct hit from the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record by many, including the Dutch military, local firemen, paid heavy equipment operators and contractors, volunteers, participants in UNDP’s Cash for Work programme and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs). One also needs to remember that this type of roadside cleaning is not part of regular garbage collection contracts
As Pechtold indicated, it appears that – rather than helping – some people have been abusing the current waste processing challenges to dump their non-household garbage in places and at times they’re not supposed to. In addition, several truckers were apparently negligent in properly securing their loads and preventing them from spilling onto the streets.
But it’s not just about trash. Various buildings are still in a state of complete disrepair also in tourist areas such as downtown Philipsburg. Examples include the old Administration Building and GEBE’s main office. Damaged containers are still strewn about all over and particularly at the harbour.
Where possible these eyesores need to be tackled post-haste, because they are dragging down the destination’s overall image when restoring the island’s hospitality industry is becoming increasingly urgent. In fact, government and its companies should take the lead in this regard.
