With the rainy season underway, keeping potential mosquito-breeding sites clean is a must in order to prevent deadly diseases such as dengue and malaria. In an effort to sensitize the community to keep their areas free of trash, The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) held a clean-up day on Saturday, June 9th in the DFC/Escalante Subdivisions. SPTC staff along with volunteers joined forces to collect large amounts of garbage and relieving some areas from visible eyesores.
Armed with trash bags and gloves, Mayor Daniel Guerrero and the group began the community service at 6AM. They cleaned along the Marina road, and the main streets of the subdivisions beginning from the W&W grocery store. The group collected large amounts of trash, the majority of which were plastic and Styrofoam products. The task led the cleaning crew to the lagoon side, resident yards and nearby mangrove areas were immediately attended. Swarms of mosquitos were annoyingly present in those areas, and according to Guerrero, keeping surroundings clean will not just deter the breeding of these insects but of other animals as well. He said that the SPTC can do so much, but the community needs to come together as well in order to get the job done efficiently.
Another clean-up day is expected to take place in another subdivision of the island. However, authorities believe that a house to house campaign is needed in order to remind residents not to litter and to help in keeping the island trash-free while providing a cleaner and healthier environment for all.
At the end of the activity, residents were encouraged to keep their areas clean and to dispose of any water catchment containers. The SPTC also encourages islanders to report any illegal dumping, which will be penalized with high fines.
For more information on clean-up days, or if you wish to become a volunteer, contact the SPTC offices at 226-2198 or visit them on Barrier Reef Drive during normal working hours.
