Riverton smoke worse than Sahara dust, residents say

Residents from Riverton City, St Andrew, say the Saharan Air Layer dust plume which has been affecting the island since Monday is all too familiar to them.

They have compared the dust to the smoke that swarms the community and clogs the air when the dump is set on fire.

"The little dust and everybody a create excitement. Plus a every year dat gwane. Nobody nah choke and a wheeze because dust a kill dem, but people a gwane the worse. And when smoke and dust a kill we ova yah, everybody quiet," one resident by the name of Terry told THE STAR.

She says the smoke from the dump is much worse in comparison to the dust plume, adding that everyone is affected - not just the asthmatic.

"Yuh all in a yuh house and just a see smoke in a yuh house ... pickney a cough non-stop. The smoke outside thick, thick. The pickney dem wid asthma afi a sleep with damp cloth ova dem nose. A bare things we face over here when dem light di dump, and we no see so much excitement or notice bout it," she said.

The dust plume is expected to intensify over the next 24 hours, and persons in sections of Jamaica are currently dealing with a reduction in visibility.

A 52-year-old resident said the she believes there needs to be equal outrage or concern for the smoke from the dump.

Poison release

"People a act like is a poison release in a the air. That no compare to weh we a live in. Yes, you can see the like fog in a the sky, but yuh nuh see nobody a bawl fi smoke or dust or nothing. We just want the same reaction when the rubbish a burn over here and we caa come out a we house," she said. "When dat a gwane enuh, not even pickney can go school. Is like we under curfew. And nobody nuh come over here come gi we masks or nothing. We just afi fight through it. Everybody afi just wait till it done ... old people, pickney, everybody."

Meanwhile, a resident from the neighbouring Washington Gardens told THE STAR that the smoke usually drifts over into the community.

"Yes, man ... the Riverton smoke is definitely worse. Right now, you can open your windows or even sit outside ... but when Riverton a burn, a strictly house thing. Yuh caa come out. As yuh step out, a some dat," the 36-year-old said.