Minister of Local Govern-ment Kellawan Lall told the National Assembly last week that the construction of the new landfill site at Haags Bosch during this year will result in the partial closure of the Mandela landfill site.

The minister said that the Mandela site would be completely closed by next year.

These remarks were made as the National Assembly was once again divided into the Committee of Supply as the consideration of the 2009 Estimates of Expenditure continued.

PNCR-1G MP Winston Murray quizzed the minister about the likelihood of the landfill site at Haags Bosch being completed this year and about the possibility of residents in the vicinity of the Mandela area benefiting from the closure of that site.

Lall told the National Assembly that he was optimistic that the new landfill site will be completed during the year but said that the Mandela landfill cannot be closed immediately since it needed to be kept open to facilitate the smooth opening and running of the new landfill site at Haags Bosch. The amount of $651,500,000 has been allocated towards the new landfill site.

For years now the Mandela landfill site has been problematic. As recent as late last year, there were several fires the noxious fumes of which affected residents in neigbouring communities.