IF THERE IS ONE ISSUE on which this country has expended countless hours of talk with little positive outcome, it is that of littering. The evidence of our careless attitude is clear all across the island.
For a protracted period the attention has been on coconut vendors operating along many of the major highways, seemingly with little regards for the way they dispose, or rather do not dispose, of their garbage. It is a situation which is not only an eyesore but a health hazard.
These terrible practices have been allowed to escalate because too many in positions of authority have turned a blind eye to this situation for too long. The culprits have come to expect that someone will clean up after them.
The situation has reached the stage where Barbadians openly litter beside signs which boldly forbid littering and warn of consequences for breaking the law.
Yet the authorities have failed to consistently enforce punitive action against those who flout the regulations. This is true of the coconut vendors or householders who place their litter on the roadside without consideration for other property owners or pedestrians.
The Ministry of Health and the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) should both indicate how many people have been cited and fined over the past decade for illegal and indiscriminate dumping in Barbados.
We must do something about this national problem. This is not the time to relax or relent in the pursuit of those who don’t have any consideration for the protection of the environment. We cannot continue to spoil Barbados’ environment and threaten the health of fellow citizens.
Most Barbadians should by now appreciate the problems littering can cause. By our actions, we would score very poorly whenit comes to trashing our roadsides, whether from throwing garbage from a vehicle or by placing it on the kerbs even when garbage collection is not scheduled. Yes, we use all kinds of excuses, including blaming the SSA for our own dirty habits.
The problem is so bad that it threatens our gullies and the fish and turtles in the Constitution River.
The Don’t Litter campaigns and slogans have generally failed, and an increasing number of people are focused only on getting the litter from around their premises.
As a small island state which is heavily dependent on tourism, we must show greater care for and appreciation of the environment. We must end the scourge of littering by doing the right thing, especially the adults, who must set the right example for childrento follow.
The environmental health and the SSA officers must be relentless in the application of the laws without fear or favour. Failure to uphold the law means that we will only continue to engage in useless talk and endup with greater litter problems.Legal action must be taken against violators.
