Residents fix roads themselves

FED up of waiting on government to repair their deplorable road, residents of Sewlal Trace Branch Road, Fyzabad, got together to raise funds and engage in a do-it-yourself project to fix their road.

Resident and co-ordinator of the project, Kierron Yip Ngow, said the project which started on Wednesday would have been completed by yesterday. He said they were fed up of having to snake their way, every day, through a pothole maze, which the road had become.

He said letters sent to the relevant authorities requesting help to fix the road yielded no positive response, so they decided to take matters into their own hands and fix the road themselves.

With donations from the more than 50 households in the area, including two female pensioners, the goodwill of a few contractors and Fyzabad MP Dr Lackram Bodoe, they were able to start the project. Yip Ngow said for years they were unable to get two state agencies to repair almost one mile of road they had left in a state of disrepair. He said this road is normally maintained by Petrotrin as it leads to its many installations. He explained that more than five years ago, the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) and Petrotrin dug up the road — WASA to lay water mains and Petrotrin, pipes for exploration.

He said letters written to the agencies as well as the Siparia Regional Corporation (SRC) over the years yielded no positive response and within recent times the narrative changed to a lack of funds.

With taxis charging exorbitant fares, school buses refusing to venture in, pensioners twisting their ankles in the pothole-filled road and residents having to repair their vehicles on a regular basis, Yip Ngow got together with family members and decided to change their circumstance.

“I am a photographer and it was embarrassing for clients to pass through this road to come to my studio.”

He said the family decided to mix some left-over gravel, cement and BRC to patch the holes closest to them.

However, in conversation with residents they all wanted the holes in front of their homes fixed, and the idea to do it as a community project was born.

Last October, residents invited Bodoe to visit the site and presented him with a proposal that they would purchase the material from donations received. He promised to match their contribution and get contractors to lend their equipment.

On Wednesday, with the assistance of contractors Sheldon Ragbir of SR Transport Ltd, Brian Ramlogan of Trice Enterprises Ltd, who lent their equipment and drivers, road-paving material was bought and dropped off on the site. Residents came with buckets, which they filled and patched the holes. Material was also spread on the road and flattened with a roller.

Bodoe commended the residents for their exemplary community-rebuilding initiative and said he hopes this will serve as an example to other communities to demonstrate what can be achieved when they work together as a team.

Yip Ngow said he too was very encouraged by the community spirit displayed, and with the economic situation being what it is, if people sacrifice a beer or a box of fast food they can make a difference in their own communities.