Ten houses are in danger of collapse as the Cipero River continues to back up inland because of high tides and ad-hoc development on the river bank.
Over the past year, the four-kilometre-long river has knocked over walls, uprooted trees and caused parts of the Railway Line to collapse, disconnecting communities in the Ste Madeliene region.
Speaking to Guardian Media, resident Ayoud Khan said the problems started when a contractor started backfilling the river bank causing blockages.
The water now backs up as far as Cedar Hill and Corinth, areas which traditionally have never experienced this type of flooding.
“When the water backs up, it eats away at the bank and has claimed the land which was once people’s backyards,” Khan explained.
He said something has to be done.
“Since they blocked the river, this started to happen. Because of that problem lower down, the water backs up and if we get another rain again, all of this land gone,” Khan explained.
Another resident Asraff Ali of Jaipaul Street, Ste Madeleine said the river is clogged.
“When the water comes up it affects me, enters my place. All around my house is cracking. If wasn’t for that bamboo patch, the whole wall will go through,” he added.
He said in years gone by, the river used to flow quietly behind
“Now the river is coming up high and the land is washing away. My whole wall is breaking and falling because of the water,” Ali revealed.
Resident Anisha Khan said her washroom was damaged in the last floods.
“The cesspit washed away and the house got damaged. We want the government to help us. Either build a wall or relocate us,” she said.
“When the water came up the whole house was shaking and the toilet was banging,” she said.
Pundit Donny Samlal, a representative of the Petite Morne Mandir said over 200 residents were affected by the blockages in the Cipero River. He called for the entire river to be cleaned.
“Where I live on the northern side of the village, the water level rises with a short bout of rainfall. The properties are devaluing. It is becoming very difficult to manage the land movements,” Samlal said. He said there has been no maintenance of the rivers. For us we see things we have never seen before,” Samlal explained.
He added that residents had legitimately owned properties, approved by Town and Country.
“It’s not like we built on the river bank. It is a situation where the river is claiming our properties because of erosion,” he said. Resident Toolsieram Chankar,who is visually impaired, said he too was worried.
“Look at the condition of the road. Every time I go somewhere I have to pay $200 to $300. I want a bailey bridge or a walkway here. Whatever the government can give to us to make life better will be appreciated,” he said.
Rawl Kurban of Manahambre Road said children were suffering since the Railway Line and Jaipaul Street Extension collapsed.
“I am begging the government to help these children. We have six senior citizens here in need of help,” Kurban said.
Councillor for Corinth/Cedar Hill Shawn Premchand said they have been begging for relief for over 200 residents.
“There are no alternative routes, people have to pass through other people’s yards. Since the narrowing of the river by Cipero Bridge, many communities are affected,” he said.
Premchand called on the government to install two bailey bridges to reconnect the communities.
He said before Railway Line collapsed, drivers, used it as a shortcut to get to the UTT campus.
Efforts to contact Works Minister Rohan Sinanan for comment proved futile as calls and messages left for him went unanswered.
