Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Residents of Madden Street, Craig Town, St. Andrew, clear debris from their community during the National Clean-up Day project yesterday. The clean-up activities, to clear the streets of debris following the passage of Hurricane Dean, will continue today. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

A health hazard which was looming across the island following the passage of Hurricane Dean was averted yesterday after Jamaicans across the nation joined hands and cleared their communities of debris, as they participated in the National Clean-up Day project, which was initiated by Prime Minister Bruce Golding. The two-day activities will end today.

When The Sunday Gleaner visited some of the communities where clean-up activities took place, residents welcomed the efforts.

"I feel good about this clean-up exercise because the community was in a really bad situation," Marlene Brown, a resident of Craig Town, St. Andrew, said.

Pests living in garbage

She noted that a number of rats, mosquitoes and flies were living in the garbage which was strewn along the streets. "Dem run gone now, so wi will have to set poison, because dem a go tek set on us now," she said.

Ms. Brown, who was grateful that members of the National Solid Waste Management Authority visited her community and removed the debris, said the community will be healthier now and the water which had settled on the sidewalk will now be able to run into the drains.

Since the passage of Hurricane Dean, the country, which had just bounced back from a malaria outbreak, saw an increase in the number of dengue fever and leptospirosis cases.

Brooms, shovels

In the Denham Town community, residents grabbed their brooms and shovels and cleaned up their communities after the trucks had removed the large piles of debris.

"We are participating in this activity and it is a good idea, because now the place looks clean and lively and we hope we will now get rid of the rats," resident Donna Anderson said.

Her neighbour, Claudette Headley, echoed similar sentiments.

"The place now looks beautiful and since the storm, we have a lot of rats, so I hope they will go away now," Ms. Headley told The Sunday Gleaner.

Ms. Anderson said the clean-up activities should be ongoing as this is one way of uniting Jamaicans.

Mr. Golding and his team visited several communities, including Denham Town, Rocky Point and Machioneal in Portland and participated in the clean-up activities.