radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Businesses at the 14-mile mark along the Penal Rock Road are on the verge of closure as seven landslips are now squeezing commerce out of the rural community.
The area is famous for its Moruga Hill rice, teak field cultivation and agricultural production. But over the past year, land slippages have triggered a partial collapse of connectivity, driving customers away.
Speaking to Guardian Media yesterday, Bevin Lemo, managing director of Bevin Enterprises Ltd Sawmill at Penal Rock Road, said customers were no longer coming to his sawmill to purchase wood.
“I cannot get material into my sawmill because of the condition of the road. My workers have to stay home. Who wants to pass here? This road is dangerous,” he said.
Two weeks ago, a concrete mixer truck overturned, taking part of the road with it.
When Guardian Media visited the scene, the bulk cement tanker part of the vehicle remained stuck in the mud where the road once passed—a grim reminder of the impending danger.
Yet, Lemo said, people with higher vehicles were risking their lives to traverse the road on their way to work and school.
Lemo said the other six landslips were also posing a challenge, trapping the villagers in the centre.
“Bread van doesn’t pass here. Last week had no water in the school and students had to stay home because the water truck could not pass to transport water to facilitate the school,” he said.
Celestina Myler, who owns the village parlour, said her business may also close shortly unless the road is fixed.
“We are not getting sales because people cannot come in here. The delivery trucks say they not coming either because their vehicle nearly capsized on the road. My daughter goes out of the village to get one or two things for the parlour but she cannot do this often,” Myler said.
Farmer Paschal Balbosa said some farmers cannot get to their gardens because of the road conditions.
“This road is really terrible. I cannot move as I want. This is a keep-back for us. To get to the garden, I have to stop the car and walk. The car cannot pass because it is too low. I have to walk to get to the garden,” he said.
Balbosa said some villagers have lost their jobs because of the length of time it takes to get to work. Since the road deteriorated, it takes an extra hour to get to the area.
Balbosa said the road had been blocked several times during protests last month, but this did not do any good as their cries for help fell on deaf ears.
Another resident named Cassie said last Sunday, the villagers came together and pooled some money to make the road somewhat passable.
“This part of the road was worse than this. We had to put up money together and hire an excavator to fix it. The gas truck no longer comes in, we do not get water from the school, bread van doesn’t come in,” Cassie said.
Several calls were made to Works Minister Rohan Sinanan for comment but up to press time yesterday, there was no response to calls and messages.
