LIVING ON THE EDGE

AFTER days of heavy rainfall, three families along Sadarath Road, Princes Town are living in fear that their homes would be destroyed by a landslide.

The road in front their homes has started to cave in, sending mud and debris into their houses.

Liz Bunsee, 51, cried during an interview with Newsday as she recalled the cries from her grandchildren when the walls in their house began to crack on Thursday night.

Bunsee said she would have never believed the day would come when she and her family would become homeless.

“It really hurts me to know what is going to happen to us. I could not sleep last night. I watched from the window the road slowing caving in and my grandchildren were screaming and crying.”

The traumatised woman said they kept asking, “Ma what is happening to the house. Daddy we going to die. Ma the house is moving. I am scared.”

“I hugged them, for it was all I could do to comfort them. But for hours, you could hear noises and parts of the road moving and the rain kept pouring and pouring.”

Bunsee said, on Tuesday the villagers noticed cracks in the road and they went to the Princes Town Regional Corporation seeking help.

“We told them what was happening, now look at our position. All our houses may soon cave in with us.”

Nearby, another terrified family of five said they hope their prayers are answered and the road is fixed before it is too late.

“As every day passes by it is going to get worse. I really don’t want to lose my home. I have nowhere to take my family,” said Taradath Bridgemohan.

“Imagine hearing the road caving in and your three-year-old daughter asking, ‘Daddy is that thunder?’ Last night all the trees fell. “Everything is going downhill. This is really frightening. Please, I am asking those in authority to help us before it is too late.”

Another resident Karishma Bennette, who is nine months pregnant, said she also fears her blood pressure would rise dangerously with the added stress.

When contacted, chairman of the Princes Town Regional Corporation, Gowrie Roopnarine, said he was aware of the landslip and described it as critical.

He said an engineer was assigned to assess the situation. However, because of the magnitude of the work to be done to repair the roadway, the information would be forwarded to the Ministry of Rural Development for approval.