Riverton Meadows chill spot becomes garbage swamp

What was once used as a recreational space for swimming, has become a garbage-filled swamp in Riverton Meadows.

When THE STAR visited the community last week, a group of men sat just footsteps away from the gully. They initially seemed oblivious to the unpleasant smell, but they stated that the odour has been the new normal for a few years. They pleaded with the relevant authorities to clean the gully as their livelihood is being affected.

"Nobody not supposed to live like this, and, of course, people ago say we live on dump but we don't. Riverton is a community of hard-working people and yes, rubbish truck come over here. But is not in where we live dem come dump dem tings. If we could clean the gully we self, we would, but we can't go down in there with the crocodile and whatever else in deh," said one woman. "We don't have the resources, so mi a beg dem just please come clean it."

Epburn Nicholas, who has resided in Riverton since he was a child, recalled the days when he and his peers swam and fished in the water that is now contaminated with raw sewage and other debris.

"Flowers used to deh on the banking and it use to be a chill out spot. We use to be able to catch all kind a fish and janga, but now the only thing in it is bare s**t and it's not Riverton people mess that. Now the place contaminated, so fish nuh stay there anymore. Dung ya mash up man. By the time it touch all 5 p.m., yuh have to run to you house or else mosquitoes gone inna yuh mouth and nose and the scent rise up wicked at nights," he said.

Giving THE STAR team a tour, Nicholas pointed to a section of the Duhaney River which was laden with garbage, and even rotting dead animals. A woman warned him to be on the lookout for crocodiles as one was spotted sunbathing on the dirt track minutes earlier.

"Whole heap a crocodile deh here and more time dem just come up and nuff time we a walk across the road and just a walk pass crocs like a normal people. Dem very nuff in the river and more time dem just walk go in the people dem pen and eat what dem want to. Chicken, pigs, goat you name it, he said, before clarifying that the reptiles don't bother humans.

A woman stated that while the community is partially responsible for the massive pile up of garbage, the bulk of debris arrives from other sections of the Corporate Area.

"Before the storm, dem come clean but dem only clean part a the gully and down here never clean, so everything just come here and back up. No matter how much bottle a air freshener spray, it nuh make any sense because a just s**t and dog mi a smell," the woman said.

Member of Parliament for St Andrew Western, Anthony Hylton, described the situation as a huge problem.

"I am discussing with the government now...the minister of local government, I raised with him this NaRRA (National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority) bill that we are debating tomorrow (today) in the Parliament is really the mechanism through which this six to seven billion US dollars for recovery and rebuilding will be spent. I have indicated to them that I am lobbying for some for this purpose. The minister has agreed to a tour of New Haven and Riverton because where the river is, and we are saying that this should come under this recovery because it will cover drainage and drainage problems," he said.

The NaRRA Bill, 2026, is a legislative proposal tabled by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness to create a centralised, time-bound authority tasked with managing recovery efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, which caused an estimated US$12.2 billion in damages

"These are all climate and water related issues so I am hoping that they will bring this system under NaRRA thing because it is critical, because otherwise we will not have that kind of money to address the problems that it faces. Because of the low lying nature where Riverton and New Haven as well as Seaview Gardens [are], that is where all of the waters are ... including Sandy Gully. To keep them clean is a system and I have argued in the house that it needs its own allocation. It is not neglect, it just that the resources are not there in the traditional way," he said.

"What I will do is ask the councillor to bring it to the KSAMC health section because with the dead animals, there can be health effects. The budget has just passed and they are trying to work through getting the budget on stream because we have not gotten any funds through the budget yet. But we will try and argue that is an emergency health situation," Hylton added.