BK International is out, Puran Brothers is in to manage Haags Bosch landfill

Last Updated on Thursday, 14 July 2016, 16:59 by Denis Chabrol

The Ministry of Communities on Thursday inked a contract naming Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. as new operators of the Haags Bosch Landfill facility.

The contract, amounting to G$221,400,000, was signed in the conference room of the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara by Permanent Secretary Emil McGarrell and Managing Director of Puran Brothers Disposal Inc, Lakenauth Puran.

During his remarks, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan explained that the original contract between government and BK International was discontinued in December 2015, due to non-compliance with the Operations Management Requirements and the Environment Permit.

That contract was for the period 2011 to 2021.

Upon the vacating of the site by the previous operator, a temporary operator was contracted to manage the waste at the facility and had ben utilizing cell two as a temporary arrangement.

The vacating of the previous operator allowed the Ministry to commence the procurement process for a new contract for the operations at the Haags Bosch Landfill.

Head of the Sanitation Management Unit at the Ministry of Communities, Gordon Gilkes disclosed that the duration of the contract is for 12 months beginning in July 2016 and continuing until July 2017.

According to Gilkes, the operation at the sanitary landfill site is guided by the Operations Service requirements which the contractor has to adhere to at all times.

These include but not limited to the compacting of waste in order to increase the life, providing daily cover to the waste, observing good health and safety standards, providing adequate equipment to manage the waste, adequate personnel to manage the site, maintaining the facilities on site: these include the administration building, scale and scale house, health post, leachate pump stations, internal roads and drainage systems.

Other requirements include providing fire-fighting facilities and the maintenance of a contingency plan.

The landfill facility is expected to be opened from 7.00am to 8.00pm Monday to Saturday and 8.00am to 2.00pm on Sundays and Holidays.

Puran told the media that his company was committed to ensuring that the facility is transformed into a site which complies with international and environmental standards.

He noted that his waste disposal firm will work along with the Ministry of Communities towards enhancing the aesthetics and implementing regulations that are in accordance with the relevant health standards.

Solid Waste Director of the Georgetown Municipality, Walter Narine said he was extremely delighted that new measures were being put in place to ensure the effective disposal and recycling of waste.

The Consultation on Draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy will be conducted by an individual contractor; Samuel Wright.

That contract amounts to G$11,888,000 and will run for a period of six months from July 2016 to December 2016.

Consultations are expected to be done in all 10 Administrative Regions with at least two of such in each region.

The deliverables will include a report on the Public Consultations, an updated National Solid Waste Management Strategy, a regional Solid Waste Management Plan and templates for Monitoring and Evaluation of the implementation of the Regional Plans.

The draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy was developed under the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme which was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Guyana with assistance of an international consultant.

In developing the draft strategy, the consultant would have consulted with stakeholders across Guyana including but not limited to Municipalities, NDCs, EPA and the IAST.

It is recommended that the draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy take into consideration nationwide consultation with all stakeholders so that the input of civil society can be incorporated into the final document before its ratification by Cabinet.

The draft Strategy includes a vision, three (3) objectives and six (6) goals and forty four (44) Key Strategic actions.