Illegal Dumping Is Out of Control in Trinidad

Context

This letter by G. Bowyer of Trincity was published in the Saturday Express on January 20, 2024, as shown in the original newspaper clipping.

The letter was subsequently published online by the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday on January 23, 2024, under the shortened headline “Illegal dumping out of control.” The Newsday version contains the same text and attribution, providing an independently accessible record of the letter. Newsday

In the letter, Bowyer draws on four decades of living in Trincity to describe the deterioration he observed in the community due to indiscriminate dumping. He also broadens the concern beyond Trincity, describing illegal dumping along the country’s highways and his experience with community efforts to deter offenders.

HOATT is republishing the letter because illegal dumping directly affects the cleanliness, environmental quality and quality of life of residential communities across Trinidad and Tobago.

Original Letter

I have been a resident of Trincity for 40 years, and I enjoyed this community long before the introduction of malls and other commercial enterprises.

Throughout each and every period of transition, the residents have always been able to take pride in this community and have boasted of the cleanliness of the environment. This, however, has changed radically in recent times. I have noticed that both residents and non-residents are engaged in dumping garbage in areas of green space all over Trincity. It is particularly noticeable at the corner of Cane Farm Avenue and Trincity Boulevard.

I have reported the issue to the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, and they have cleared the area on several occasions. Despite these efforts, the dumping continues unabated.

During this holiday season, Christmas 2023, I had the opportunity to traverse several areas of our country and to my dismay, I realised that the issue of illegal dumping is widespread, and seems to transpire almost everywhere. It is an especially troubling issue along our highways. I am aware that the Ministry of Local Government has engaged in several clean-up campaigns, as well as an active social and traditional media advertisement drive, to stop littering and embrace a clean environment.

I am involved with a group, titled Friends of St Michael Road, which installed cameras on approximately 1.5 km of roadway. These actions have experienced some success, yet our experience has been a constant repeat of offenders over the last five years. These law-breakers come in cars with their refuse hidden in their trunks, or at night, when the visibility is poor.

Some offenders, when they are caught red handed, behave like they are not doing anything which is against the law and this is alarming. I am hoping that by investing my time to write this letter, alongside my involvement with our community group, I can help influence a change in mindset of our citizens, regarding this most vexing situation of illegal dumping.

G. Bowyer
Trincity

Source attribution

Originally published: Saturday Express, January 20, 2024. The letter was also published by Trinidad and Tobago Newsday on January 23, 2024.