NSWMA boosts St. Thomas disaster readiness as garbage fleet shrinks; Morris presses on Melissa housing

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is intensifying disaster-readiness work in St. Thomas even as garbage collection in the parish has slipped, according to a report to the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation disaster committee last Thursday.

An NSWMA representative told the committee the agency is in preparation mode for the hurricane season and other emergencies. Staff are being trained to operate equipment such as power saws to clear roads after storms, and fire-warden training is also under way.

At the same time, garbage truck operations in the parish have fallen to five units from the usual seven—a 30% drop—with some contractors reportedly moving trucks to Kingston. Councillors said that shortfall has triggered a wave of complaints across eastern St. Thomas, with residents reporting missed pickups and delays.

Local representatives urged the authority to issue public advisories when breakdowns or other disruptions affect collections, saying residents often vent frustration at councillors while NSWMA offers little direct communication. The NSWMA said it tries to keep councillors informed about divisional challenges and noted that some communities have long operated on once-weekly collection, urging residents to maintain proper waste-management practices. The committee said clearer, timelier updates from the authority would ease pressure on representatives until fleet problems are resolved.

In a separate development, Opposition spokesman on housing and sustainable living Professor Senator Floyd Morris on Monday criticised the Government over what he called its failure to distribute containerised houses promised to Hurricane Melissa victims. Morris said it was unacceptable that nine months after the storm destroyed the homes of thousands of Jamaicans, not one family had received any of the 5,000 containerised units the Government pledged to purchase.

"It is a disgrace," Morris said. He argued arrival timelines had been revised repeatedly after an initial indication the houses would reach Jamaica by January 2026, and that in May 2026 officials said more than 500 units had arrived—only after he asked at an Opposition press conference, "Where are the houses?" Similar assurances surfaced during Senate debates on legislation establishing the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority and on continued annual extraction of $11.4 billion from the National Housing Trust, yet no unit had been handed over, he said.

Morris called on the Government to explain the delay, outline when and where distribution will occur, describe the process, clarify the role of members of parliament in selecting beneficiaries, state eligibility criteria, and say whether the houses will be sold or provided free. "The people affected by Hurricane Melissa deserve more than promises. They deserve action, transparency, and the dignity of knowing when they will finally receive the assistance they were promised," he said.

State Minister in the Ministry of Education Roda Moy Crawford announced nearly $320 million in post-Melissa rehabilitation funding for Knox College in Clarendon. Speaking at the institution’s 2026 graduation ceremony in Spalding on Friday, she said the programme will be implemented through the National Education Trust, with work expected to start during the summer holidays. The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information has allocated $319,957,457 for repairs to classroom blocks, hostels for boarders, and electrical upgrades. Knox College suffered extensive structural and electrical damage during the October 2025 hurricane, forcing a temporary campus closure.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness on Monday reminded the public that excessive heat can harm health and may be fatal. In a release, it said the elderly, bedridden persons, infants and children under six, overweight individuals, and people with conditions such as diabetes and hypertension face higher risk. Heat-related illness can range from mild rashes and cramps to life-threatening heat stroke. The ministry advised drinking cool water, especially in hot humid weather; limiting sugary and alcoholic drinks; taking fluid breaks during vigorous activity; exercising indoors where possible; avoiding midday sun; seeking shade; and wearing lightweight, light-coloured, breathable clothing.