Landslips cause bad roads, power outage in Manzanilla

Houses from lightpoles 20-70 on the Saddle Road, Manzanilla were without current for four days because of a landslip tilting a lightpost last Friday.

Newsday spoke to resident Mala Ramsaran, who said they had to call T&TEC several times before a crew finally came.

She said the landslips had made the road so bad that taxi drivers are refusing to go off-route onto the Saddle Road.

"You have to beg the taxi drivers to go in, otherwise you have to walk up to where you live. It is very inconvenient for us.”

She also said residents have been without water for the past two months, with calls to Manzanilla councillor Kenwyn Phillip and MP Rai Ragbir going unasnwered.

"It’s been over two months now that this road hasn’t gotten any water. It's
rainwater we are catching and using, like the old days."

In a phone interview with Phillip on Monday, he said he was aware of the landslips and visited the site last Friday. Phillip and his team were working to have the electricity and water restored as soon as possible.

But he said their ability to fix all the landslips is limited.

"The funding that we are receiving is not sufficient to do all of the landslips. We are trying to see how much can be done." There were many landslips in his area, he said, and the funding is "just a drop in the bucket."

Manzanilla MP Rai Ragbir could not be reached for comment