Tijuana

Tijuana urgently needs an "in-depth cleanup": David Guakil

After insecurity, infrastructure, and mobility, trash is the fourth most important issue in the city

The arrival of Hurricane Hilary in Baja California and California made it even clearer that one of the main issues during the rainy season is puddles, which cause traffic flow difficulties. These issues, Tijuana native businessman David Guakil points out, are signs that the city demands an "in-depth cleanup."

He said that after insecurity, infrastructure, and mobility, trash is the fourth most important issue in the city, and just like any other, it requires a practical, serious, and urgent solution.

He said that according to official numbers, in October 2022 the city created 2,216 tons of daily garbage, 625 times more than 5 years before, when 1,521 tons of daily trash were collected.

This means that there has been an increase of around 7% each year, he explained, and warned that these issues cannot be efficiently dealt with "despite the great efforts made by the staff of the appropriate departments", as authorities have themselves admitted that their mechanical trash collection equipment (garbage trucks) are working at 45% capacity.

The real estate developer highlighted that, in these circumstances, not all the trash created in homes is collected and a good portion of it ends up in the streets.

"If we add to that that streets aren't swept, like in previous years," Guakil added, "the result is a dirty city whose issues multiply when its lacking rain infrastructure is blocked. During rainy season, roads are flooded and makes the mobility issue worse."

David Saúl Guakil stated that in addition to domestic garbage, which is constantly increasing, in 2019, authorities reported 600 illegal landfills, which have been increasing with the passage of time, which is why it is urgent to address this problem with an effective strategy that creates a noticeable solution.

He said that resources can be channeled from other areas with less priority to strengthen the cleaning of the city which it is actually an issue that demands urgent assistance. For example, he highlighted, a good portion of money that is used for less important issues can be used to buy mechanical sweepers and keep the main roads of the city clean.

He said that, according to a recent census, the city has an urban spread of 1,239 square kilometers where 622 neighborhoods are located. Evidently, not all of them have garbage collection services, because they haven't joined the municipality and must acquire external waste disposal services, a good portion of which ends up in the streets.

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