Despite hundreds of millions spent on infrastructural development, Block 22 Wismar, Linden remains beset by deteriorating roads and major erosion.
An initial $280M was spent on construction of the roads in Block 22 over two years ago. They deteriorated dramatically under a year. In the last quarter of last year, a further $20M was spent under a project to repair some of the roads in the community by then President Bharrat Jagdeo, but the desired results were not achieved.
Just ask resident Enid Thom. “This if what we in this community get for all dem millions of dollars, this, look at it,” said Thom, a resident, who noted that soon after the roads were initially done, they were quickly laced with pot holes. “Some thin, thin layer of tar they throw on the road and, before you know, it turned out to be worse than when we had fair weather roads in here,” the woman said. The situation worsened during the last quarter of last year, under Jagdeo’s project, she added.
Regional leaders have said the situation in the community has been replicated in Phase B of the new housing scheme at Amelia’s Ward, Linden, which has also been beset by roads with major defects and erosion.
A resident explained that several others, including former Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo, had condemned the work at Block 22 while it was in its early stages but their objections fell on deaf ears. “They ain’t listen to we. The contractor had the tenacity to tell we it wok in Soesdyke so it gat to wok here, we told him no way it couldn’t work,” a resident lamented.
On Wednesday, several councillors of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), three of whom reside in and around Block 22, were on a walk around the community accompanied by Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, civil engineer attached to Region 10 Clive Peters, acting Town Clerk of the Linden Municipality Edward Cidreno and several concerned residents. They found that there was not a single road in the community without deep pot holes and large pools of water.
“We thought it fit to do this today so as to get a fair feel of what is the likely outcome of the situation in Amelia’s Ward because it is almost the same or worse quality work is being done in Amelia’s Ward,” said Solomon.
The decision to do the walk around was taken at a meeting of the councillors on Tuesday. The evidence of poor work was visible throughout the Block 22 community.
Upon entering the community one sees the seriously eroded Block 22/Wisroc Housing Scheme access road. Recently BOSAI had commenced remedial works on the access road but the company was advised to discontinue because the region is in the process of advertising for tenders to have the road rehabilitated.
According to Solomon, should the company proceed with the repairs, the Regional Administration would have to redesign the scope of work for the rehabilitation, a process which could further prolong the process.
‘It’s that bad’
Like Thom, another resident, Shelton Scipio, said that the community is now faced with serious hardships. Scipio’s home sits at a junction where the roads meet and on the corners on the border of his home are three recently-constructed soak-away drains.
Whenever it rains the soakaways flood and the water overtops and causes his yard to flood. When the rain subsides, the water remains in the yard for an extended period before receding.
“Since they do this nonsense I wasted a whole lot of money trying to correct it just so my family could live comfortable,” Scipio said. “We have to bathe on the back step, wash on the back step. Some days it’s so flooded dem children can’t even leave the yard to go to school, it’s that bad,” he complained, while adding that his yard is becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes which pose serious health risks.
Less than a year ago in excess of two dozen soakaways were constructed in the community and this is seen as the root cause of flooding and land erosion.
There was evidence of residents attempting in several ways to save their homes but all appeared to be in vain. “We tried, we really trying but look what is happening to our yards, look what is happening to our homes,” pointed out a resident.
The situation extends to those who are squatting on the borders of Block 22. In excess of 30 homes are on the brink of collapse as the hillsides are rapidly eroding.
“We glad to move from here to somewhere better right here in Block 22,” said Cecilia Bowen who also noted that residents who are squatting on the edge of the hill were promised to be given priority in obtaining a proper house lot but this was never fulfilled.
Two major soakaways on the edge of the community have caused extensive erosion.
One has completely collapsed and the other, which was constructed less than six months ago, is on the verge of.
“This thing is nonsense, you see the money is in the repairs and not in the construction,” noted one resident who pointed to the nearby Canvas City road and soakaways which were constructed by Seeram’s Brothers more than five years ago and show no signs of blockage or erosion.
As a short-term plan, Solomon said, the RDC is working feverishly to have a contract awarded to residents to clean the soakaway drains while lobbying for them to be maintained on a regular basis.
