Havana on the brink of collapse: Garbage trucks halted due to lack of tires and batteries.

The garbage collection in Havana is facing a critical crisis due -among other reasons- to the poor condition of the collection trucks, many of which are out of service due to a lack of tires, batteries, and other essential parts.

Regarding the negative outlook, Alberto Ernesto Rodríguez García, Provincial Director of Hygiene and Communal Services, explained to the official site Cubadebate that "the main problem currently faced by communal activities in Havana is due to the technical coefficients of the collection equipment, most of which are out of service due to a lack of parts that have deteriorated."

According to Rodríguez García, a budget of seven million pesos was approved to acquire between 300 and 400 tires and 126 batteries, which would allow for the recovery of the entire fleet of garbage collection trucks currently operating in the city, thus improving the critical sanitary situation affecting several municipalities.

The situation is particularly serious in areas such as Centro Habana, Plaza de la Revolución, Playa, 10 de Octubre, and Arroyo Naranjo, where the accumulation of waste has reached alarming levels.

In 2019, the arrival of trucks donated by Japan helped to temporarily stabilize the garbage collection service in the capital for about two years. However, the gradual deterioration of these units, exacerbated by the lack of spare parts, has caused chaos in the collection again, the mentioned site reported.

"The trucks that were still functioning were overexploited in an attempt to compensate for those that were already out of service, which worsened the situation," Rodríguez García stated in the interview.

For larger issues, the lack of qualified personnel has also complicated the situation, as municipalities such as Cerro, Centro Habana, and Plaza de la Revolución currently do not have directors in the communal area, which affects the control and quality of the service.

In an effort to alleviate the crisis, the government has implemented the hiring of inmates from the prison system to take on some of the collection tasks, although this does not address the structural deficit of workers and equipment.

On the social network Instagram, the user Yuliergraffiticuba published a video showing the levels of waste accumulation on the streets of Centro Habana, an area that is also heavily visited by tourists who come to the largest of the Antilles.

In addition to the problems with the trucks, the three main landfills in the capital are on the verge of collapse, exceeding the permitted height levels for final waste disposal.

According to the executive, the authorities are conducting studies to improve the situation and comply with current environmental policies, but the city continues to face an urgent challenge regarding waste management.

In the midst of a growing hygiene crisis in the Cuban capital, the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel launched a comprehensive offensive against the uncontrolled accumulation of garbage in Havana, a situation that affects all municipalities.

The official newspaper Granma reported that during his recent visit to the municipality of Diez de Octubre, one of the most affected areas, the Cuban leader announced a strategic plan in which "each ministry will sponsor a municipality," aiming to stabilize solid waste collection and improve hygiene conditions in the city.