Arouca homes damaged by flood

RESIDENTS of Hindustan Trace, Arouca, say they are living in fear of losing their homes after heavy rainfall caused a drain in the area to overflow and floodwaters to enter and damage their properties on Sunday night.

Hema Ganish, who lives with her husband, children and mother-in-law in a two-storey house bordering the drain, was shaken by the ordeal.

Ganish said, "Rain started falling around Sunday night around 10.30 pm. The water started coming across the road and into my property. We have been having drainage problems for some years now."

The flood caused part of Ganish's property and a section of a wall at its boundary to fall into the drain.

"We have been complaining and it has come to this point where it’s going to wash away my whole property, the wall, everything. My house is in jeopardy right now," Ganish said.

"My sister-in-law's vehicles were floating in water. They lost all their stuff under the house. The wall came down early Monday morning. We cleaned up all Monday. It was terrible."

Ganesh said, over the years, the water damage had caused the supply of electricity to her home to be compromised then restored at her own expense.

"My light pole came down and I had to take off my main switch. TTEC came and take it off and I had to pay for them to install it back (sic).

"All my washing machine was floating. This is going on about 20 years!"

Ganesh also complained about a lack of help from officials at the Tunapua/Piarco Regional Corporation (TPRC).

"They just come and watch the river and they gone.”

The distressed resident pointed to where the earth beneath a pillar of her two-story house had been washed away by the flood.

Other buildings in the area including homes, a grocery store, a church and a pharmacy were also affected.

Donny Ganish, who has been living in the area for 48 years, was also severely affected.

He said, “Since they put all the houses where is now Bon Air West, it’s more water coming down. But the size of the river remains the same and that is what caused the erosion."

Ganish was, at the time, sweeping mud out of his home on the western side of the drain.

Nearby another resident had to bore a hole in the wall of his house to get the flood water out. That resident claimed that his furniture, appliances and other personal items were either lost or severly damaged in the flood.

Chairman of the TPRC Kwasi Robinson visited the area on Tuesday to offer comfort to residents.

He said, "We have spoken to the Minister of Works and both MPs are involved. We expect something to be done but we are waiting.”

Also contacted on Tuesday, Councillor Derek La Guerre of the TPRC said, “The corporation is bringing in a team of engineers on Wednesday to fix the problem.”

Contacted again on Wednesday, La Guerre said the engineers had visited, assessed the damage and repairs should be completed by Saturday.