By John Myers Jnr., Staff Reporter
Piles of garbage and debris scattered in a section of the Spanish Town market which has been abandoned by the vendors. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer
A PLANNED clean-up and sanitisation of the Spanish Town market, St. Catherine, failed to materialise yesterday, as the St. Catherine Parish Council decided that the problem was much more complicated than anticipated.
Newly-elected Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr. Raymoth Notice, told The Gleaner yesterday that the exercise was aborted, because the unsanitary conditions in the market are worse than had been anticipated. He said that the market is in need of a much more comprehensive solution.
"After I reviewed the situation, the problem was much bigger than just cleaning one or two drains, or having a bulldozer with two trucks removing garbage," Dr. Notice said.
During a tour of the dilapidated facilities on Monday, Dr. Notice said he and a team from the Parish Council observed that, "there are lots of (stagnant) drains, there are lots of areas where faeces and condoms are (dumped)" in addition to a large pile-up of garbage."
UNPLEASANT SITUATION
When The Gleaner visited the market yesterday, the stench which lingered at one of the entrances, located on Wellington Street, was evident of the unpleasant situation in the selling area. The vendors pointed out the stagnant drains, rubbish and debris. Under a thick cover of flies, the vendors complained that because of the unsanitary situation in the market they are getting less customers each day and that this is causing them undue hardships.
As a result, the St. Catherine Health Department yesterday issued notice on the Parish Council threatening to close the market in 30 days if nothing is done to correct the deplorable conditions existing there.
The mayor, in expressing sympathy with the vendors, said the Parish Council would have to focus on establishing funds to build a new market in order to effectively correct the unsanitary problems. Dr. Notice noted that he will be seeking dialogue with the Ministry of Local Government to identify funds to carry out the project.
He pointed out that the Council received $30 million in 2000 for the renovation of the market, however, nothing had been done and the funds could not be accounted for. He said the Council has already identified a suitable location at the Redemption Ground Market, not too far from the present location in the town centre.
The vendors all agreed to the proposal to remove the market, as they say the move would better their situation. "When rain fall di whole place flood, no because yuh si di roof look like it nah leak. When rain fall it flood, it run over di toilet pon di food dem," one vendor asserted.
