Mandingo Road residents happy about landslide repairs

While the Works and Transport Ministry plans to implement a permanent solution to a major landslip at Mandingo Road near Princes Town, residents are pleased with the promised interim stabilisation work.

The landslip destroyed a three-storey concrete house and has left the road impassable since December 22.

The owners of the destroyed house moved out at the end of 2019.

Shamina Mohammed, who lives next door, said: “We really hope they do what they say they are going to do. Don’t fool us and don’t forget us after the temporary (repairs).

"I am happy about the stabilisation work.”

A media release on Thursday from the ministry said it is exploring interim slope-stabilisation measures in light of the rapid worsening of the erosion.

The work is to reduce further deterioration of the slope until the permanent works are designed and tendered.

Mohammed told Newsday: “I hope they are not mamaguying us. I don’t want my house to go down. I cannot afford to build another. I am over 60, who would give me a mortgage? We are not bigshot people. It is hard on us."

A total of nine people, including Mohammed’s elderly father, live in the family’s three-storey house.

The release on Thursday said the ministry is aware of and notes with great concern the severe landslip at the 1.60km mark.

Since December 29, the ministry’s Highways Division had been doing technical investigations to decide on a permanent solution to stabilise the failed slope and to reconstruct the roadway.

“The recent, unseasonably heavy rainfall over the past few days has exacerbated the erosion, which has resulted in further loss of the embankment and collapse of the roadway,” the release said.

The ministry reminded drivers to use the alternative route via Realize Branch Road and Sahadath Road.