Sophia residents yesterday decided that they had had enough and blocked sections of Dennis Street to protest dust pollution in the area caused by incomplete works on the road.
The residents, from various parts of the community, turned out in their numbers and shouted their feelings about the situation. Their main concern was the dust, which emerges from vehicles traversing on the crusher run currently in place and which they say has been severely affecting them.
Broken chairs, pieces of wood and empty barrels were among the items placed to block off the main access road. Large pieces of rocks were also placed on parts of the road that were not blocked.
As a result, traffic was disrupted and the police were summoned to maintain order.
According to the Public Infrastructure Ministry, construction works on the road started on April 4 and saw the completion of approximately 300 metres of timber revetment. However, during the deep patching and scarifying phase, it was discovered that there were extensive foundation issues and work was halted.
Due to the protest, Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson visited the area yesterday morning and met with the residents, after which a decision was made to have the works completed by July 27.
The works had been halted due to foundational problems experienced.
Ferguson told reporters that an agreement was made on Sunday, after Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson visited the area, to have the roads soaked daily. This, she said, had started but due to some difficulties experienced the contractors were forced to stop.
However, from yesterday she committed to having the roads soaked every day until the completion of the construction.
A statement subsequently issued by the Ministry said, “a team from the ministry immediately soaked the road following the visit by Minister Ferguson in order to alleviate the effects of the dust.”
Additionally, it said, “the residents, who included councillors from the Sophia representative group, also indicated their willingness to have the road closed, from ‘C’ Field to ‘D’ Field, in order to facilitate construction.”
The closure of this stretch is expected to minimise interruption in a bid to facilitate the accelerated road works.
Resident Charles Fortune told Stabroek News that due to the dust he has not been home regularly. However, he said whenever he returned, most items in his apartment, including his bed, are covered in the dust. “It get into your homes, all my bed and clothes everything does got share dust,” he stated.
Another resident, Christine Bovell, said that while she is grateful for the new road, the dust has severely affected her and her daughter. “I can’t clean my house, nothing, because if I wash and clean is same thing over and over—thick, thick dust all over,” she said.
Bovell added that just over the weekend her daughter fell ill and had to be taken to the hospital due to the dust pollution.
As a result, she said she and other residents decided upon blocking the road in order to have their voices heard. “All we want them to do is until the road is complete they could at least contain the dust,” she explained.
Ovid Jack noted that bad roads have been a regular feature in Sophia. “Is only recently we start get some new roads and now look when we do get it, is another issue,” he said, while adding, “Is nuff dust I does sweep up from my house every day, you can’t even cook in peace because this thing could make yuh sick. Is a set of children done tek in with breathing problems.”
