MANY of persons have been seriously affected since last week by the smoke from the Riverton City landfill.

Many persons were heard voicing their disgust that the smoke lasted so long. One woman said after the second day of the smoke she had to take her children to Montego Bay to stay with their grandmother.

According to the woman, she preferred to take her three children out of school until the authorities dealt with the situation, because she could not afford the medical expenses.

"Two of my children are asthmatic and I just had to board a bus with them for Montego Bay, because I just got a job and I could not afford to lose my job," she said.

On being asked by one of her friends why she believed she would lose her job, she replied, "You don't know that when you take the children to the hospital you have to spend hours with them each day, especially if they are admitted?

"I was out of a job for one year and, now that I got this job, I had to make arrangements so my children would not get sick from the smoke and I have to spend time with them at the hospital.

Struggling to breathe

"The last time the Riverton City dump was smoking, my two children were admitted at hospital for four days. It is not a nice thing when you have to watch your children struggling to breathe. One time, I thought my little boy was going to die because of the smoke", she added.

Another woman said she had respiratory problems and she had to stay home because she did not have anywhere else to go.

"It cost me $15,000 in doctor bills and medication, and is borrow I had to borrow the money," she explained.

"Now I think the Government should give me back my money, because it is not fair that in this civilised day and age that it takes them so long to control the smoke.

"I was talking to a friend the other day and she pointed out to me that the Government is responsible for what is happening because the Government encouraged the people to live in the dump by building houses there for some of them.

"My friend told me that in other countries like England and America the Government would not build houses in the dump and sell them to the people."

But the woman's greatest concern was how she was going to get back her medical expenses.

A lawyer who was contacted on the issue said the woman could sue the Government .

However, he suggested that she should make a complaint to the Public Defender who could assist those affected by the smoke to file a class action suit against the Government.

"The Government should compensate affected persons and avoid them the hassle of having to file suits," the lawyer added.