The Castries City Council has taken a more proactive stance this year, streamlining its post-Carnival cleanup operation and calling for greater accountability from vendors. According to Castries Mayor Geraldine Lendor-Gabriel, the task of restoring the city after days of revelry is no small feat.

“The Castries Constituency Council, as persons would understand, has a significant role to play with respect to cleanup. It is a very challenging task,” the mayor explained.

She continued, “Our employees work throughout the evening, very long hours, to ensure that once the carnival bands have left the city, we do the cleanup, and it also involves cleaning the highways.”

In addition to the logistical burden, the Council continues to grapple with the types of waste left behind, some of which far exceed the usual beverage bottles and food containers.

“Sometimes, days after Carnival, we are dealing with old fridges and old pallets and so forth,” said Mayor Lendor-Gabriel. “So we have had some level of dialogue with vendors, and we will be quite vigilant.”

To help curb the growing waste problem, the Council has issued updated guidance to vendors on proper waste disposal practices and is actively monitoring compliance. The hope is that increased cooperation and earlier intervention will prevent large-scale build-up of refuse, reduce strain on sanitation workers, and lessen the city’s environmental impact.