Sinanan: Relief soon for La Seiva Road residents

Residents of Upper La Seiva Road, Maraval, had to reach their homes by walking the plank over the weekend after a huge section of the road completely collapsed.

Michael Potts, who has lived there for 63 years, told Newsday there had been gradual slippage while the Works and Transport Ministry did some excavation to build a retaining wall.

Then, on Saturday night, he said, a Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) main burst.

On Sunday a number of villagers from further up the road took the precaution of moving their cars past the area. "After the last car was out, the whole thing come down. By Sunday evening there was no road."

Two wooden planks had been placed on either side of the remaining roadway to create a narrow pathway for people to cross. Potts said people crossed there at their own risk.

After the slippage Potts noticed several cracks in his property and he was concerned there could be underground damage as well. He said he would be enquiring about possible compensation.

Paul Joseph, resident for about 35 years, said on Monday that the collapse has been a major inconvenience.

"We cannot pass (with our vehicles). No (small) children can pass. It bad."

He said Works Ministry officials responded quickly and were trying their best.

On Monday TT Electricity Commission (T&TEC) staff visited and moved cables.

Joseph said the area had no electricity on Monday night and his water supply had been cut, though people lower down the road might have been reconnected.

A female resident said she was not able to take her groceries up to her home. She is doing construction work on her house but can't transport the building materials.

"I have so many things to move."

She also said she did not feel safe walking across the makeshift path.

"They need to work quickly."

She has not had water since last week Thursday, so she and other residents have had to buy water, which then raised the problem of getting cases of water across the narrow pathway.

"Everything is a problem. Everything is a hiccup."

Aletia Benny, who has lived in the area all her life, said her vehicle was the first to move when the road began to "lean." She said there were still a number of vehicles further up the road which had not been moved.

As for crossing on foot, "It is kind of scary to pass, even with the makeshift board."

She hoped the road would be repaired quickly.

Benny said for a few years the road had been cracking and slipping, but the major slippage began last Wednesday, when work started on the retaining wall.

A male resident, who asked not to be named, said there was nothing they could do but wait.

"For two to three years this road slipping.

"They talking about representation. I don't see (Diego Martin North/East) MP (Colm) Imbert. He don't come up here. I don't see (Works Minister) Rohan Sinanan."

He added: "But we glad to get it done, because it was going down."

He also said the river further up the street needed to be cleared.

"They don't care about poor people. (They only care) when they want you to vote."

Sinanan said it was an ongoing project under the PURE unit to repair a landslip. He reported a WASA line was ruptured and this caused erosion and slippage.

"We are working with WASA to divert the lines, to remove all the lines."

He said the project is a priority because of the state it is in, and both engineers and the contractor were currently on site.

"It will not be too long before relief comes to (residents)."

WASA corporate communications manager Daniel Plenty said the authority was on site repairing the damaged pipeline infrastructure and was working with the Works Ministry to complete the repairs and restore pipeborne water.

He added in the interim if any resident's stored water runs out, they can ask for a delivery of truckborne water, which WASA will provide.