Representations have been repeatedly made at both the regional and national levels for the deplorable access road to Barnwell North, on the East Bank of Demerara to be rehabilitated but to no avail, according to Chairman of the Mocha Arcadia Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Randolph Adams.
Adams made the disclosure in wake of the state of the road being highlighted by the Guyana Fire Service as a hindrance in its response to a fire that claimed the life of three children in an early morning fire on Thursday.
“Had there been proper road access, the fire service would have been able to get to the house that was burning. We are now all aggrieved by what has transpired and led to the demise of those three innocent children,” Adams remarked.
Adams told Stabroek News that while the area falls under the NDC map, it is still under the control of the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission.
The proposals for the road to be upgrades, Adams claimed, have been removed from the budgets of the Regional Democratic Council and national budget for the past three years.
Nonetheless, he stated that sometime ago they were able to carry out road works on a large section of road but all their efforts came to naught due to rains.
Adams pointed out that the road is critical, not only for farmers, but for the school-age population in the village. He stated that many times during the rainy season, adults and older children would have to provide assistance to the younger ones to prevent them from falling along the road.
Thursday’s fire occurred at around 01:25 hrs and claimed the lives of 8-year-old Timothy Kippins, 6-year-old Triston Kippins and 1-year-old Zhalia Flue.
Acting Fire Chief, Gregory Wickham, had told Stabroek News that due to the poor state of the road, the fire trucks were forced to stop some distance away from the scene and that resulted in fire fighters not being able to effectively respond.
During a visit to the community by this newspaper, villagers and farmers called on the relevant authorities to execute remedial works on the road.
Hopscotch
From the boundary at the head of the village, the deplorable state of the road was plainly visible.
Persons trekking through the muddy puddles looked like they were playing hopscotch as they were forced to jump the road in order to find a suitable spot to step on to complete their journey.
At present, major sections of the earthen road have become impassable to motor vehicles and even bicycles. Since the rainy season started, residents said, more craters have developed along the road.
While a few persons, who live at the front of the village can risk traversing with their vehicles through the muddy thoroughfare, many others are forced to walk for miles to get out of the village.
The villagers said that for years they have been pleading with authorities to assist in upgrading the road but all they have received are promises and minor rehabilitation works.
Villager and farmer Romel Benn, who has been residing in the village for over two decades, said many days his “heart is burdened” as he is unable to reap his produce and take it to market.
The man noted that produce, such as soursop, bananas, plantains, and other crops are left on his farm to rot as he cannot effectively transport it to market due to the unavailability of transportation.
“It is very difficult you know. I grieve many days when I go to my farm and see these fruits ready to reap but I cannot because I don’t have the transportation and the road to bring it out. What I can afford to bring out I do and sell that but there is many more that I cannot bring out because of the condition of the road,” he explained.
According to him, while the front section of the road is in a terrible state, closer to the farms can be regarded as treacherous terrain.
“I want see them road this constructed for farm to market condition. Mocha and Barnwell have nuff farmers but due to the condition of this road we cannot bring out our produce from the farm… since I deh here it was a lot of promise. The amount of promises we get quarter nah come,” Benn lamented.
He stated, too, that on many occasions farms are flooded, impacting the outcome of their profits. However, while other parts of the country farmers tend to receive relief measures, they do not enjoy such benefits.
Another resident, Brittney Henry, relayed that the state of the road is frustrating to everyone. She explained that if a persons has to transport loads from the boundary separating Barnwell and Mocha, it is very costly.
“You really find it hard when it comes to that time of the month when you buy your groceries and have to bring it. If it is a lot of load then it cannot come in on one trip, you have to pay for every trip until you get all your goods,” she said.
The mother of three went on to state that every trip out of the village is an expense.
Touching on the impact the deplorable state of the road has on children, she stated that many times children slip and fall while heading to school. In some cases they have to return home as they are covered in mud.
“Most times they don’t come home clean. Almost every day they are covered in mud or some part of their uniform and bags have mud. That is how bad it is. My children live right at the front and that happens but there are many other children living more down in the village and the roads there is deplorable,” she lamented.
