Davis urges residents to help rid MoBay of rats

Montego Bay Mayor Homer Davis is calling on residents of the Second City to be more mindful of their waste disposal habits as stakeholders redouble their efforts to curb rodent infestation.

At a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank at the St James Municipal Corporation last week, Davis outlined that the rodent control programme is ongoing in the city, but the initiative can have a greater impact if all play their part.

“I am appealing to our people: Let us be better citizens, let us keep our city space clean,” Davis urged.

He said citizens must take greater responsibility in disposing of their waste in order to reduce the rodent population in the parish.

“We don’t have the resources to put one enforcement officer at every [garbage skip] location. People will have to adopt best practices for us to get the city to where we want. We have to take responsibility for our space,” the mayor said.

He pointed out that government agencies such as the Tourism Enhancement Fund have been investing resources in anti-litter measures.

“Shortly after I became mayor, the [St James] Municipal Corporation, in partnership with the Tourism Product Development Company, installed some 150 garbage skips around the city, and they are cleaned every morning,” Davis indicated.

“[However], the rodent issue is an ongoing one. It is not a one-off situation and it comes about primarily because of how we dispose of our waste and garbage. Since I occupied this chair, we have made yearly allocations to the St James Public Health Department for the eradication of rodents,” he added.

Earlier this year, the municipal corporation had convened a meeting with restaurant operators to discuss better solid waste disposal arrangements to ensure compliance with regulations.

JIS