Dear Editor,

I refer to the letter captioned "People must be educated on waste management".While I agree that education is a necessary prerequisite in bringing about a change in people's attitude, it is not the only solution to the problem. This phenomenon of littering has infiltrated every facet of society and we have become a lawless nation. It is disgusting to see used pampers, sanitary napkins and old boxes discarded on parapets, in street drains and alleyways.In the past the Georgetown municipality had placed refuse receptacles at certain strategic points in the city. However, some citizens took the opportunity to misuse these bins by placing enormous amounts of waste in them while others disposed of their refuse on the ground and in drains close to these bins, converting the immediate area into a massive dump site. This defeated the purpose of the bins and destroyed them.Recently, a law has been passed to fine persons who litter a sum of ten thousand dollars. However, very little has been done in terms of enforcing this law. The Georgetown municipality needs to put mechanisms in place to bring perpetrators to justice. If citizens cannot comply with the law they should pay the penalty. Many Guyanese when they migrate adhere to the laws of their new country.As Guyanese we should consider the likely public health consequences that may arise from littering. Blocked drains will give rise to mosquito breeding and increase the spread of mosquito borne diseases such as filaria, yellow fever, malaria and dengue fever.