Residents of several East Bank Demerara communities can now breathe a sigh of relief as a long-standing stench from the Haags Bosch landfill site has been addressed.

However, motorists may still encounter odors along specific stretches of the roadway. Local Government Minister Priya Manickchand says this is because the site continues to receive high volumes of waste daily.

“But fresh garbage doesn’t travel far. So you don’t get it in the communities, but you get it on the highway. This landfill site was established to take off 50 trucks. It is currently taking off 450 trucks per day,” she explained during a recent handing over exercise.

Manickchand says the government is actively working on some solutions, including a deodorising system.

“So it’s a bit of a challenge to cover as quickly as it’s dumped. So we’re looking at some other solutions such as deodorising and some more modern solutions so that we don’t, as far as we can, we don’t pollute the highway,” she said.

The minister says they are also examining various models of recycling and reusing garbage. She said the plans also include converting completed landfill cells into green spaces for recreation and scientific research.