Less than 24 hours after We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) party exposed what it described as a long-standing environmental and public health hazard at the Rose Hall dumpsite, the Government moved to deploy the Guyana Fire Service to extinguish fires that residents say have choked their communities with toxic smoke for more than five years. The swift intervention has reinforced WIN’s contention that sustained official action only followed public exposure.
WIN has maintained that residents of Hampshire, Belvedere, and Williamsburg were forced to endure constant air pollution from the open burning of garbage at the dumpsite. In a statement posted to social media, the organisation said that “for more than five years, residents of Hampshire, Belvedere, and Williamsburg have been forced to breathe in toxic smoke from the burning of garbage at the Rose Hall Dump site.” The group warned that the practice posed “a serious health risk to residents, particularly children, the elderly, and those who are sickly,” citing the dangers of prolonged exposure to polluted air.
The environmental hazard, WIN said, was not unknown to authorities. According to the party, “repeated complaints were made to the [Regional Democratic Council] RDC and several senior [People’s Progressive Party] PPP members during government outreaches.” WIN added that assurances were given by “the regional chairman, the mayor of Rose Hall Town, and MP Zamal Hussain,” yet residents “received no action,” allowing the fires and smoke to persist. The PPP controls both the RDC and Rose Hall Town Council.
Beyond the immediate health implications, WIN pointed to what it described as a failure of governance and waste management policy. “With $13.2 billion allocated for Solid Waste Management, open burning and air pollution should not be happening in Guyana,” the party stated. It stressed that “proper waste management means regulated collection, controlled disposal, recycling, and environmental protection, not fires in residential areas,” arguing that the Rose Hall situation reflected a systemic breakdown rather than an isolated lapse.
WIN directly called out senior officials, stating that “MP Zamal Hussain, along with Minister of Local Government Priya Manickchand, must take responsibility for this atrocity,” and urged the minister “to immediately address this issue.” The language underscored mounting frustration among residents who say their health and quality of life were sacrificed despite repeated appeals for intervention.
After the issue entered the public domain, WIN later shared images and video showing the Guyana Fire Service actively dousing the flames at the dumpsite. The party said that “the Guyana Fire Service, acting on instructions, was sent to the Rose Hall dumpsite to extinguish the fires that has affected residents for five years; upon receiving notice that the WIN leader would be visiting Rose Hall to address the dumpsite fire issue.” The timing of the response has fueled criticism that decisive action was prompted only by political pressure and public scrutiny.
WIN has since called for continued oversight, urging that “the Environmental Protection Agency… make sure the municipality follows every rule and regulation about dumping and burning.” Framing the episode as a test of accountability, the organisation said, “This is effective opposition at work: an opposition committed to service, action, and holding the government accountable.”
The smoke may now be temporarily extinguished, but the consequences remain. For years, families in Hampshire, Belvedere, and Williamsburg lived under a toxic haze while warnings went unanswered and promises delivered no relief. The rapid response following WIN’s exposure highlights a deeper failure of environmental stewardship and political accountability. What unfolded at Rose Hall is more than a dumpsite fire—it is a stark example of how public pressure, not proactive governance, forced action to protect communities from a preventable health and environmental crisis.
