Gov’t promises landfill fix

Mark Benschop’s vehicle being towed away yesterday by police after his protest over the garbage situation at the city landfill.

The government yesterday announced plans to “fix the problem” at the overflowing Mandela Landfill, while slamming the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) for poor management.

“We’ve been asked by his Excellency the president [Bharrat Jagdeo] this morning to fix the problem and we will fix the problem,” Works Minister Robeson Benn announced, in the midst of a steady stream of trucks offloading garbage and the foul air at the facility. Benn was accompanied by Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall during a site visit to the landfill yesterday.

Prior to the ministerial visit, social activist Mark Benschop had blocked the entrance to the facility to prevent dumping in an already overflowing site. Benschop, and columnist Freddie Kissoon who visited the site,