Cap-de-Ville residents are calling on the Ministry of Works to complete a $40 million Shoreline Stabilisation Project soon to arrest rapid erosion of the coastline behind their homes.
Already four houses have fallen into the sea within the past decade and the stabilisation project is expected to protect 35 more houses.
However since the project started in December 2018, residents say the erosion has intensified in some areas.
At Seaview Drive, a chunk of the roadway has collapsed into the sea, along with several trees. Pipelines were seen protruding outwards to the ocean while trees bobbed in the water.
Resident Criss Ramnath said the rocks used to stabilise the shoreline have been dislodged by the force of the waves.
“We are thankful that the government started doing something but a lot of what they did already is washed into the sea,” Ramnath said. the shell of an abandoned house stood near the shoreline.
Ramdath said during the high tides the water cascades over the rocks and enters the residents’ properties.
“We are coming up to Christmas time and the high tides does get really really bad,” Ramdath explained. Another resident Jamal Ramnath said some residents have already lost their cesspits and parts of their homes.
“It affecting people really bad. Men cesspit going away in the water, house flooding, housebreaking down and men boat mashing up,” Ramnath said.
Another resident said during high tides the seawater comes all around her home.
“The water brings with it a lot of rubbish. We have pieces of sticks and garbage coming up in the water,” she added. The residents are calling for relocation saying even when the shore stabilization project is complete, they will not be safe in their homes.
The post office which once stood in the coast has long disappeared and residents have been devising their own methods of stabilisation using old tyres, sandbags and gravel to ease the impact of the pounding waves on the vulnerable shoreline.
In December last year, the Critical Coastal Protection Programme started the Shore Stabilisation Project to save the homes. At the time, director of the Coastal Protection Unit Candice Gray-Bernard said the stabilisation works extends for 1,000 kilometres and will be completed next year. She also explained that the Cap-de-Ville project was one of five projects currently in progress.
“We have two projects in Manzanilla. Another at San Souci on the northeast coast and in Matelot we are addressing two sites as well,” she added.
Contacted for comment Works Minister Rohan Sinanan said he was unaware of the complaints of the residents. He said he will investigate the matter and issue a comment.