Thursday, November 12 2009

ROADS along Murray Trace, San Francique, are filled with potholes. Living along Murray Trace are frustrated residents who are tired of waiting for the Siparia Regional Corporation to fix the roads.

They are also tired of waiting for the Water and Sewerage Authority to provide them with a reliable supply of water.

Resident Bridgemohan Mulchan, 49, said the roads have been in a bad condition for over ten years.

He said Murray Trace was a short cut for drivers wanting to get to San Fernando and Siparia and those who wanted to get away from the flooding at the Mosquito Creek, La Romaine.

“Bad roads are affecting too many residents, if this road is such a major access route why doesn’t the Siparia Regional Corporation take measures to pave the roadway?” Mulchan asked.

John Dillinger, 37, also complained about the lack of pipe borne water in the area.

He said Murray Trace has not received water for the past 16 weeks.

“We get water every Friday but for the past weeks our taps were dry,” said Dillinger.

He said residents cannot afford to pay the $300 for a private truck-borne supply.

“These conditions are inhumane, how can WASA have us living like this?” he asked.

Dillinger said WASA visits the area when residents complain but failed to solve the area’s chronic water problems.

Murray Trace was uneven, unpaved and riddled with potholes so several cars swerved to navigate the worst areas and there were charred heaps of debris that residents used to block Murray Trace during protest action.

An official at the Siparia Regional Corporation said heavy trucks damaged Murray Trace which was first built as an agricultural access road.

“I know that the people feel abandoned but the corporation is doing road works on one side of Murray Trace and work is planned for the middle of Murray Trace,” he said.

He said although the corporation’s allocations were not enough, he said he will see to it that Murray Trace is paved.

Ellen Lewis, WASA’s general manager, communications, said customers in the Murray Trace, San Francique, area received a supply of pipe borne water once per week.

She admitted that WASA experienced system challenges from time to time which led to challenges in providing a regular supply in some areas.