Hygiene in the Capital: When There is Demand and Control, Results are Achieved

The positive balance that the collection of solid urban waste is gradually leaving in the capital, along with other sanitation and cleaning tasks—labors that are gaining in systematicity and sustainability, with the premise of more efficient use of resources and fuel—is demonstrating that "when there is demand and control, results are achieved."

This was one of the consensus points of this Saturday's meeting between the country's leadership and authorities of Havana to review the work aimed at addressing the accumulated problems in the city. The meeting was led by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.

The meeting was attended by Political Bureau members Manuel Marrero Cruz, Prime Minister; Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee; and Salvador Valdés Mesa, Vice President of the Republic, as well as ministers and other leaders from the Party, the Government, mass organizations, and the First Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee in the capital, Liván Izquierdo Alonso.

In this task, "we must continue to focus activity on control and organization, and if that is achieved, there will be greater efficiency," stated Division General Ernest Feijóo Eiró, head of the Western Army.

Improving Efficiency and New Initiatives

Among the elements that are beginning to show these principles, and which have been emphasized following instructions from Díaz-Canel in the previous exchange, it was reported that in the last week, 93,043 liters of fuel were used to transport 96,500 cubic meters of waste, resulting in an efficiency of 0.96 liters per cubic meter. This is a decrease compared to the previous period, when the index was 1.05 liters per cubic meter.

Another encouraging piece of news is the establishment of 77 street sweeper brigades, with some 600 workers. Initially, these will prioritize the main avenues of the capital across its 15 municipalities, as well as plazas and other areas relevant for transit and social life.

The recovery of the emblematic and necessary profession of the street sweeper has been accompanied by the rehabilitation of their picturesque carts by industrial entities, the revaluation of their wage scales, and the dignification of the work, with the provision of food, uniforms, protective equipment, and cleaning tools.

Citizen Discipline and Service Reliability

Also encouraging is that in some popular councils of the city, the discipline of families taking out the trash only when the collection truck is passing through the neighborhood is being established. However, this habit must be secured by the adherence to the collection schedules; otherwise—participants opined—that discipline will be lost again.

The Cuban President emphasized that as this service stabilizes, meaning it becomes systematic and reliable, it will generate greater understanding and sensitivity among the population. But to achieve that, the service must be punctual and adhere to the schedule for each neighborhood.

Among other directives, the Head of State indicated the need to efficiently and timely organize the distribution of fuels to prevent failures in vehicle availability that could impede waste collection the following day in any location. He demanded strict control over collections and detailed tracking of any area where waste collection fell behind on a given day, so that work could begin there the next day.

Enforcement and Infrastructure Improvements

At the Saturday meeting between the country's leadership and the capital's authorities, actions to confront crime, illegalities, and social indiscipline in large landfills were discussed.

This work led to the issuance of 1,159 fines, valued at over 500,000 pesos; the arrest of citizens illegally collecting raw materials in the landfills, who were charged with epidemic propagation; the execution of house searches; and the demolition of shacks used for hoarding items extracted from the dumpsters.

Regarding Necrological Services, reports were given on the rehabilitation of equipment at the crematoriums in Santiago de las Vegas and Guanabacoa, the operation of the one in Berroa, and repair actions in 22 of the capital's 24 funeral homes. Other actions included cleaning and sanitation in 16 municipal cemeteries.

Broader Urban Challenges

During the meeting to review actions aimed at responding to the multiple accumulated problems in the city, the situation of the electrical service, water supply, and the potential role of foreign investment in the collection and treatment of urban waste were analyzed.

Regarding the epidemiological situation, the intersectoral work being carried out for sanitation, given the capital's environmental conditions, was discussed. During the week, a decrease in febrile cases and an increase in screenings were reported, while anti-vector actions are growing. This includes an increase in personnel working in the campaign against mosquitoes and the availability of a greater number of foggers, which will increase from nearly 450 to over 750.

In the coming week, more than 1,500 campaign operators will go into action; the goal is to cover over 82 percent of the total number of premises in the next two weeks.