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Fire erupts at Le Repentir dumpsite again
Fire fighters battle to contain combustion at the dumpsite
The services of fire fighters were required early yesterday to combat flames, which erupted at the Mandela dumpsite located within the Le Repentir Cemetery. The episode brought with it a sense of vulnerability to residents of the surrounding environs.
According to Deputy Mayor, Robert Williams, the fire was first spotted some time Wednesday night.
Municipal officers were alerted to the situation soon after. He said that the fire service was subsequently summoned as a result.
Yesterday morning the fire fighters and bulldozer operators were battling the flames, which by noon were reduced to wisps of smoke.
By 14:00 hours yesterday, Williams informed this newspaper that the situation was contained but will be continually monitored. The area would be repeatedly soaked to prevent another eruption. He said that a pump has been set up to aid this process.
And though the Deputy Mayor has not been able to pronounce on the cause of the eruption, there is the speculation that it was caused by spontaneous combustion.
Several residents who were alerted to the situation yesterday highlighted that the dumpsite continues to be a bugbear.
According to one resident it has become evident that the municipality does not have the necessary capabilities to deal with the dumpsite situation, which is repeated on an annual basis.
“I patiently waiting for them to relocate the dumpsite but they keep saying that it moving and the years passing and is right here the dump site still deh,” the resident proclaimed.
Residents of Lodge and other neighbouring communities, just last year, were affected by smoke emanating from the dumpsite, a situation that had forced several to vacate their homes because of health concerns.
Fire erupted at the site last August as a result of combustion but was contained, bringing relief to residents until another eruption occurred in September causing even more discomfort to those within proximity of the site.
At that time speculations were that the eruptions were caused by spontaneous combustion coupled with the works of scavengers.
According to residents, yesterday they were hoping that the situation did not escalate to such an alarming level as it did last year.
Mayor Hamilton Green had on numerous occasions disclosed that attempts were made to secure expert assistance to address the dumpsite problem but had noted, that the municipality is financially challenged.
He said that the capacity of the council is severely limited by its inadequate financial base thus no absolutely corrective measure could be put in place to prevent future combustions.
The Mayor said that in excess of $30 M is spent monthly by the council to collect and dispose of garbage at the dumpsite, which has long outlived its intended lifespan.
Williams recently revealed that plans are apace for the new landfill site at Haags Bosch, East Bank Demerara.
He said that the garbage disposal programme, which is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) at a cost of US18.5 M, is slated to be completed in another 10 months.
That site will be constructed under modern sanitary requirements and will allow for the closure of the current dumpsite, which has been infringing on the space of the Le Repentir Cemetery.
The dumpsite, according to Williams, was initially afforded five acres of land but today occupies 22 acres within the cemetery.
About US$300,000 of the IDB loan will be utilised to facilitate the closure of the current site, a process that is likely to see the site being overhauled with dirt among other interventions.
It was suggested by former IDB Representative, Sergio Varas Olea, that the site could be transformed into a recreational park when it is closed.
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