Concerns over possible roach infestation on Palisadoes strip

Some Jamaicans have voiced concern about a possible roach infestation along the Palisadoes strip which not only leads to the Norman Manley International Airport and the community of Port Royal, but also serves as a major passageway to the capital city of Kingston.

The concerns were raised by users on the social media platform, Twitter who reacted to photos shared by @Androy_Cameron in March depicting a pile up of garbage in-between the large stones used to protect the peninsula behind it.

It is suspected that the scattered garbage resulted in the presence of roaches.

Cameron in his post, lamented the unkempt parts of the strip as Jamaicans who utilise the space for recreational purposes such as sightseeing, continue to litter the coast with food wrappers and other items.

He described them as a “nasty set”.

Another user by the handle at khanodesu said “I see a lot of people saying there should be bins and while I agree let’s not forget that most people at Palisadoes drove there and could easily hold their trash ‘til they got to a bin.”

Audley Gordon, executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), on Tuesday told The Gleaner that while he had not, in an official capacity, been informed of rodent/roach infestation along the Palisadoes strip, he would not be surprised if this were indeed the case.

He said that despite the frequent voluntary coastal clean-up exercises conducted by several private sector entities and which had targeted the Palisadoes strip, the issue continued.

“We have had the complaints and we have done clean up there, time and time again. It is unfortunate but it is no different from other areas of the Corporate Area and indeed the country where we see mini dumps popping up ... It is a bad behaviour that we have to try and correct as a people,” he said.

Gordon further noted that right across the country, individuals often create “mini dump sites” that are a detriment to others. The NSWMA continues to discourage the practice, he said.

But if persons continue, he added, it would undoubtedly create other problems like rodent infestation which would ultimately compromise the health of others.

Other individuals who interacted with the post called for more disposal bins to be placed throughout the city alongside ‘don’t not litter’ signs.

ENFORCE LITTERING LAW

But Gordon said that the lack of garbage receptacles should not be used as an excuse for littering the area.In another instance, a call was made for the enforcement of the law and an increase in fines to deter people from littering. Gordon said that the Authority’s 50 enforcement officers who are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring proper waste disposal by citizens, issue on average, 300 to 450 tickets monthly, as individuals are fined under the NSWMA’s National Solid Waste Act, 2001.

“The truth is, that’s a drop in the bucket when you look at the amount of infractions that are out there and it’s difficult because you don’t have the amount of people out there posted to watch for long periods and people are exploiting that gap in our enforcement setup,” he said.

Because of this gap in ability to monitor large sections of the country at once, Gordon said the NSWMA must rely on “the goodwill and civic-mindedness of people.” In November, 10 motorbikes were distributed to improve the efficiency of the officers’ duties.

“We talk a lot about slavery, and we abhor it and rightly so. But isn’t that encouraging slavery again if we are saying, in order for us to behave properly we have to have somebody [monitoring us],” he said. “So, I ask this question. Is it that we will not do the right thing unless we are forced to? And if the answer to that is yes, isn’t that a serious indictment to us as a people?” he questioned.

One user, @SonjahStanley remarked that “The #NuhDuttyUpJamaica campaign was ended prematurely. Education is not a moment. It is a PROCESS. A real pity.”

Gordon implored citizens to set good examples for the visitors to the island. “Why would anybody want to deface that (the Palisadoes strip), that’s the gateway to the city,” he said.

“People are taking pride in their country and trying to set good examples. But there is another percentage [of persons] there, who are hell-bent on duttying up and creating problems and we have to try to identify those people and isolate where we can,” he said.”

The NSWMA head referenced the viral December display of Japanese football fans who picked up and bagged the garbage which was left behind by fans in a section of the stadium during the World Cup matches in Qatar.

A similar incident also occurred locally with St Jago students who attended the 2023 staging of the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships.