Garbage Collection and the Risk of Collapse

Jorge Milanes

HAVANA TIMES – Communal Services is the state body which was created to collect solid waste so as to keep Havana clean, apparently.

A few days ago, I saw one of my friends walking with a cane and when I asked her what had happened, she told me that she had had an accident. I thought it had happened at home, but she told me that she fell at night when she went to a cafe looking for a pack of cigarettes.

The subject of solid waste collection, cleaning and maintaining this city is common and repetititve. However, the loss of consciousness of many of its employees contributes to many of its social objectives, which it was created to fulfill, not being met.

As well as an irregular collection service, whenever they decide to do this, there is also neglect on their part concerning damaged pavements, which is the case in Habana del Este, which brings conditions for people to fall down and hurt themselves, especially the elderly.

There are several factors that lead to this kind of attitude, which is attributed to a lack of conscience and low salaries, which manifest themselves in discontented employees. However, it also lies in a lack of procedure and processing of complaints made by citizens who dare to file them.

Trying to keep this city clean requires expensive equipment, which I also don’t think are treated with the proper care they should be.

On the other hand, the media invests in creating promotional ads to raise civil awareness which allows us to look after our own environment.

In the face of such a problem, I believe we have to take the bull by the horns, otherwise we will continue in the same situation like we have today, with a dirty city, where the number of people injured at doctors’ offices continues to rise. Anyway, at least emergency attention at hospitals is free.