Filth fighter - Man risks health to clean up sewage

Despite the nauseating stench and the black, mucky water overflowing into the streets of downtown Kingston, two weeks ago Jamal Black took it upon himself to finish cleaning sewer pipes filled with garbage on West Queen Street.

Other than the deed itself, Black's approach to clearing the muck was what took many by surprise, because he was shirtless, shoeless and not wearing any protective gear.

"Before mi clean it, dem send four man come clean it out. Di four man clean it out fi the whole day and them couldn't let out di water. Dem couldn't get it out! Mi stand up and watch dem too, and after dem gone, mi tek the pipe and rod it out...and clean up the rubbish," Black explained. This act, images of which surfaced on social media on Tuesday, was inspired by Black's friends, who have been vendors in downtown Kingston for more than a decade.

"Mi help them sell every day and the dirty water constant. People constantly a complain 'bout it, suh mi seh alright mek mi see weh mi can duh towards it," said Black, adding that it wasn't his first time cleaning sewage pipes because he has 14 years of experience as a plumber.

"A long time mi a duh dis, suh it come een like nothing to mi," Black said, adding that he also had no fears of getting sick. The father of two also told THE STAR that although he was doing a good deed and putting his health aside for the comfort of others, not everyone was appreciative of his kind act.

"Dem literally scorn mi and that was when mi feel bad, because when dem scorn mi, a mi friend dem was like 'Unuh a mek up unuh face and a good di man a duh. Yuh feel like the man a get pay fi duh this?'" Black explained. But despite his disappointment, he was proud of his actions because he did it with a "willing heart."

The 31-year-old, who grew up on West Street in Kingston, also explained to THE STAR that all his life he has witnessed residents, vendors, businesses owners and customers being forced to contend with the ongoing sewage issue which he said could be a less persistent problem.

"The tunnel under there, they are too small and the grille that they put over the hole dem, the hole dem too big. Yuh foot can guh through it. Suh it can't assist wi. It would a easier if dem put piece a mesh over it or something," Black said.

"It easier we guh deh, scrape weh di rubbish and can get the rubbish fi tek up and the water can run out after, instead of it [the garbage] guh down inna it. We can't prevent it from going down in there because breeze blow a day time, and then the holes dem are so big," Black added.

Despite Black's efforts, checks by the news team revealed that the pipes have become blocked once again.