Bad roads in Santa Maria anger Moruga villagers

Over the past few days, heavy rain in Penal Rock Road, Moruga, has worsened the deplorable road, making it almost impassable.

Fed up residents said "at any moment," the landslips could cut off the Santa Maria Village from the rest of the country.

One of the major landslips is threatening the home of a family, including 92-year-old Deonisia "Meena" Edwards and her great-grandchildren.

The affected family lives on the corner of Penal Rock Road and Blas Cha Cha Trace.

Two weeks ago, workers from the Ministry of Works and Transports tried to fix a large sink in the road by filling it with stones and other materials.

But a villager told Newsday, "This morning, workers came back because the problem has worsened. Just now, the government would have to send helicopters to get us in and out of the village. We need the road fixed now,"

Villager Frank Sotio, 66, a retired labourer with the Ministry of Works, said the last time major work were done was about 20 years ago.

Blas Cha Cha Trace, like Marion Corner, a short distance away, is almost impassable.

"If the rain falls now, the rest of the road would collapse. It is getting worse every day. We would need a helicopter, because already it is a problem for cars to pass.

"Government comes, government goes, and no one is fixing it," Sotio said. "Since I was a baby, officials have been promising to give the village a community centre. The condition of the village is 90 per cent worse than what it was when I was going to school."

Penal Rock Road is a major road that runs from Penal to Basse Terre Village in Moruga. A number of drivers complained that the bad roads have severely damaged their cars.

Newsday contacted MP Michelle Benjamin, who promised to comment.