Opposition Spokesperson on local government, Natalie Neita Garvey, has issued an urgent call to the portfolio minister, Desmond McKenzie, to immediately implement a clear plan and allocate the necessary financial resources to address the massive pile-up of domestic solid waste and debris across the island.

In a statement, Neita Garvey said the mounting garbage represents a clear and present danger to the health of Jamaicans in every parish. She stressed that the backlog in domestic waste collection must be clearly distinguished from the post–hurricane debris, which has created an entirely new layer of challenges.

The shadow minister noted that, despite the difficult working conditions in the aftermath of Melissa, the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) must adopt more creative and effective strategies to keep the country clean and reduce escalating health risks.

She said it is evident that collection schedules across all parishes have collapsed, with the domestic backlog now compounded by hurricane-related waste, creating an unprecedented islandwide crisis. As a result, many citizens have begun resorting to unsafe disposal practices.

Neita Garvey emphasised that the situation requires proactive leadership from the Minister, urging him to move beyond excuses and take decisive action to prevent a major public health emergency and restore normality to communities that do not typically face such challenges.

She further stated that, based on consultations with several municipal corporations across Jamaica, the moment calls for a comprehensive, coordinated national plan that combines state and private-sector resources, including compactors and crane trucks, to mount a serious and immediate assault on the problem.

Neita-Garvey is urging the minister to convene the NSWMA without delay to prepare and execute this plan, as the situation demands swift and decisive action.