GARBAGE LEFT UNCOLLECTED
Residents fume at overflowing rubbish bins during festive seasons
MORE areas in mainland Penang have been found with overflowing garbage during the festive season. Residents of Taman Sembilang, Kampung Benggali, Permatang Tok Bidan and Taman Selayang Indah here and nearby Seberang Jaya have to bear with the stench from the garbage bins.
Checks by the New Straits Times yesterday found that five areas were badly affected.
A resident living near the Lorong Sembilang apartment here said the situation was prevalent during Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
The man said even though the garbage truck came to collect the rubbish, the bin would soon overflow with trash again.
“It is a never-ending problem... the rubbish pile keeps growing,” he said, adding that no sooner had the garbage been collected on Monday evening, than the rubbish started to pile up within hours.
Another resident, in her late 40s, from Kampung Benggali near Taman Selayang Indah, said the people’s poor attitude was partly to be blamed.
“There are about 100 landed properties here and three huge garbage bins. Yet, people dispose of their rubbish outside the bins. Recently, when I was about to put the overflowing rubbish back into the bin, the worker mistook me for throwing it outside the bin and scolded me.
“Here, it just gets worse. People are not bothered to throw their rubbish properly. They are making it difficult for the garbage collectors to clear the area quickly.”
Muhammad Shahrul Muhammad Hazim said blaming the local council for the overflowing garbage bins was unfair.
He proposed a more systematic rubbish collection, especially during festive seasons.
“Maybe the council can deploy more garbage trucks or increase the frequency of collection during festive seasons.
“They should also inform the people on the last collection date before Hari Raya and when they will resume their collection, so that residents can be more prepared for it.”
Other areas with overflowing rubbish were Kampung Kota, Kampung Pertama and Permatang Tengah.
The residents there said rubbish would be collected before 3pm at least once every two days.
Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin said the council had failed to overcome overflowing rubbish woes during festive seasons despite the numerous reports made.
“The waste separation at source initiative also contributes to this problem as the residents have to separate and place the recyclable items outside the bin,” she said.