Garbage blocks drains on Central American boulevard

Residents of the Port Loyola area are irate over uncollected garbage which has blocked the drain in their immediate area. The refuse in the drain on Central American Boulevard does not only include the usual paper and bottles, but car rims, bicycle wheels, television parts and even a refrigerator. Two of the residents in the area told News Five that the problem has worsened over the past weeks and that their requests for some attention have gone unanswered.

Carolyn West, Resident of Port Loyola
“The drain here is nasty. I call it nasty because it is dirty and it is a place where you sell food right and then selling food with this kind of thing in the drain like this, it is impossible for our health. I live right behind the area. They send people to clean the drain and what they do? They don’t do nothing about the drain. We need something like maybe a waste bin so that they could put the garbage in the bin.”

Marion Ali
“So the problem is with the litterbugs.”

Carolyn West
“Yes.”

Marion Ali
“For how long has this been this way?

Carolyn West
“This is about like a month.”

Cynthia Martinez, Fast Food Vendor, Port Loyola
“We mi call like three weeks ago fi mek dehn come clean di drain because ih hamper di progress fi di business because sometimes ih smell. So I get wah young man fi usually clean it fi mi but anytime ih bag off di dirt, di pickney dehn dash back di dirt inna di drain.”

Marion Ali
“So you called who?”

Cynthia Martinez
“I call City Council.”

Marion Ali
“And the response was?”

Cynthia Martinez
“Dehn seh dehn wah send somebody fi clean it. Dehn neva did sen back nobody fi clean it. So I get wah young man fi clean it fi mi and we bag off di dirt and we lef it pan di side fi when dehn pass and pick it up. Due to the concas I have to buy Fabuloso fi dash inna di drain and thing fi mek ih no got da scent.”

Marion Ali
“And you’re also appealing to the children.”

Cynthia Martinez
“Yes, fi mek dehn stop di dash di dirt inna di drain.”

Marion Ali
“Okay, how has it affected your business?”

Cynthia Martinez
“Slowly, because sometimes a lot of people come and when dehn come dehn si wah lot ah dirt inna di drain, dehn go home back, dehn no want buy due to the dirt.”

While our efforts to reach Mayor Zenaida Moya or Sanitation Councillor Dean Samuels to comment on the issue were unsuccessful, when we arrived on the scene we did observe that heavy duty equipment for the City Council had been clearing drains in the area.