He cuban government analyzed this weekend the first results of a “unprecedented” study on the generation of trash in Havanaat a time when the island is going through a significant health crisis.
According to the newspaper Granmathe study is led by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA) together with Havana universities and institutions, and will allow “define exactly how much garbage and other waste is produced daily in the capital”.
The preliminary results, obtained from its application in a Popular Council – which Granma does not reveal—were presented during the weekly work meeting on the situation in the Havana city between the Cuban Government and the city authorities.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said that it is “an essential issue” because, he assured, “we have to know how much solid waste is really generated in the capital today.”
The press report does not detail the methodology used in the study nor its duration, which would be carried out while the country is going through a strong epidemic associated with the proliferation of garbage in the streets and, in particular, in Havana, one of the provinces where the most cases of dengue and chinkungunya are reported.
How much garbage is collected in Havana?
According to data published by Granmabetween November 21 and 27, 91,695 cubic meters (m³) of solid waste were collected in the city, with a daily average of 13,101 m³, a figure 1,877 m³ lower than that reported the previous week.
The availability of equipment was a factor that had a negative impact on this issue, according to official statistics, with an average of 221 media outlets in operation, 73 less than in the previous seven days.
Furthermore, collection was further limited by fuel supply problems and breakdowns associated with the lack of oils, lubricants, tires and batteries, reported the official media.
As reported at the government meeting, during the week 30 containers were delivered to the municipality of Playa and another 50 will arrive this Monday, while the next 80 manufactured will be destined for Old Havana.
According to previously reported dataHavana generates around 30 thousand cubic meters of solid waste every day and requires, every year, about 30 thousand collection tanks.
After the number of patients with dengue and chikungunya skyrocketed throughout the island, and citizen complaints multiplied due to the poor health and sanitation situation in Cuban cities, the Government has begun to pay attention to the garbage accumulated in the streets for weeks and months with actions that for the moment have not managed to reverse the situation.
Flashlight: another crackdown on garbage in Havana, will it be this time?
On the water supply and the epidemiological situation
Regarding the water supply in Havana, according to the authorities there is an improvement associated with greater electrical stability in the sources and the recovery of pumping equipment.
This, they assured, allowed the number of affected inhabitants to be reduced by 65,228, although it is still high the total number of people who do not receive the service according to the planned cycles. The number of people in that situation was not revealed by the report. Granma.
Regarding the epidemiological situation, it was stated that “during the last five weeks the behavior of febrile cases has been decreasing”, although just this weekend The Government recognized that the epidemic is not controlled.
According to what was said at the government meeting, pregnant women, single elderly people and children under three years of age are cared for “in a differentiated manner.” in the capital 148 adults, 112 full-term pregnant women, and 162 small children are hospitalized.
Likewise, it was reported that there are six weeks of “intensive fumigation with adulticidal treatment,” with “a universe of 303,600 homes,” although it was not clarified how many of those homes were actually fumigated in the last week.
Finally, it was noted that the University of Medical Sciences participates in “research, surveillance and care activities for patients with arbovirus in primary care” and it was admitted that “actions against the Aedes aegypti mosquito have been limited by the availability of basuka operators,” especially in the municipalities of Plaza, Playa and Cerro.
