San Francique residents start petition over landslides, bad roads

OVER 100 San Francique residents have physically signed a petition over landslides and bad roads to be sent to the Ministry of Works and Transport.

On Friday, the creator of the petition – Carissa Nanan – posted on Facebook saying, “It’s been 12 years suffering with these almost impassable roads.

“We would greatly appreciate your efforts in filling up the petition! It’s about time our voices and concerns be heard!”

She dropped off three forms at different businesses in the area – Nan’s Grocery, Manick’s Grocery and Building Resources Grocery. The petitions will be there until Monday.

She said she wanted to make it clear the motive is not fuelled by any form of political affiliation.

“We are simply tired, tax-paying citizens and stakeholders trying to improve our community!”

Once completed, the petition, letters and photos will be sent to Oropouche West MP Dave Tancoo and Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan.

In 2019, then Oropouche West MP Vidia Gayadeen-Gopeesingh had asked Sinanan, in the Parliament, for an update on repairs to the roads.

Sinanan said then, fixing landslips are “complicated and not a quick fix,” and that the ministry is making “every effort to ensure the road is still passable.”

And about repairs to Pluck Road, San Francique, he said: “The road is being prepared, seeking Cabinet approvals for the award of a design /consultant contract.

“Upon receipt of this approval, and pending the receipt of the availability of funding, the contract will commence.” He said repairs would have started by September 2020.

Newsday visited the area on Saturday and spoke with members of one household whose home has been affected.

Ramhit and Marilyn Narine said pipelines burst in the road very often and the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) tends to respond slowly. The water runs to the back of their house and sometimes causes flooding.

They live on the main road and a total of nine people live there – four adults, three children and the couple.

Their house is now visibly leaning owing to the effect of landslips.

The couple said they have been living there for 41 years and even rebuilt because of similar issues in 2015.

Marilyn’s daughter said, “They came, they put this walkway in 2014, attempted to put a retaining wall. I don’t know if we needed the walkway because it’s a back road and there’s a drain which goes nowhere. So it ends downstairs here.”

They said big trucks use the main road regularly which is why the pipelines burst so frequently.

“Our previous house broke down due to the same thing…We built this one. Now if this one goes, we won’t be able to reconstruct,” Marilyn said.

She said she knows it would not be possible to relocate a household of nine which is why she, like many others, is pleading with the authorities for the roads to be fixed.