San Cristobal has declared a state of emergency due mismanagement of garbage and lack of efficient garbage collection.
The decision was taken by the Ministries of the Environment and Public Health, the Dominican Municipal League (LMD) and the National Embellishment Board, via the Emergency Garbage Committee that has now taken over the garbage management role in the municipality, and will also set up a garbage collection system.
Minister of the Environment Bautista Rojas Gomez made the announcement at a press conference on Sunday, 25 January, together with LMD president, Johnny Jones and the Environmental Health director at the Ministry of Public Health, Luis Emilio Feliz Roa. Rojas Gomez said that last June the San Cristobal municipal council authorities were told how serious the situation was but that they had not resolved it and now needed to suffer the consequences, which could include taking them to court.
He said that San Cristobal was the municipality worst affected by chikungunya, dengue fever, respiratory illnesses and gastroenteritis.
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2015/1/25/353842/Declaran-a-San-Cristobal-en-estado-de-emergencia