RESIDENTS of Gunness Trace, Barrackpore staged fiery protests on Monday over deplorable roads and drainage.
Different parts of the road through Gunness Trace were blocked at different times with burning tyres, branches and other debris. As one section of the road was cleared, residents started another blockade. All of this happened between 9 and 11 am.
[caption id="attachment_966562" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Barrackpore Resident, Deonarine Singh, speaks while angry residents blocked a number of roads as they staged fiery protests in various areas of the community on Monday morning in an attempt to get their roads and drainage issues fixed. Photo by Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
During those two hours, some CEPEP workers, police and some media personnel were unable to move from one area to another because of the blockades of burning debris.
Additional police, with the assistance of two backhoes, eventually cleared five blockades in the area, allowing traffic to flow.
Resident Deonarine Singh said, "For far too long we have been having road problems, drainage problems, flood problems."
He added the situation is not only an inconvenience to residents but farmers in the area as well.
[caption id="attachment_966561" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Barrackpore farmer, Arnold Maraj, held cabbages during protest as residents staged fiery protests in various areas of the community on Monday morning in an attempt to get their roads and drainage issues fixed. Photo by Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
Pointing to an agricultural plot, Singh said, "We have a farmer right here, where he lost thousands of heads of cabbage mainly because the natural watercourse was changed."
He claimed this was done by the Works and Transport Ministry's PURE programme.
"They want to bring water uphill, and that is something that we all know is not possible."
Singh also claimed some residents blocked natural watercourses because they did not want water running through their properties.
"This is the reason for all of this flooding (in the area) over the past few weeks and all the time."
[caption id="attachment_966565" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Police look on as tires burn which Barrackpore residents carry out fiery protests in various areas of the community on Monday morning in an attempt to get their roads and drainage issues fixed. Photo by Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
The residents protested last week over the same issues.
After that protest, Singh said, officials from the Princes Town Regional Corporation (PTRC) visited.
Two weeks ago, a backhoe arrived and worked for half a day to clear some of the drains.
"The backhoe was removed and it has not returned yet."
He claimed the backhoe that was briefly assigned is now being used to construct a new public cemetery elsewhere.
Singh said corporation officials subsequently brought boulders to fix the roads and drains.
[caption id="attachment_966559" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Barrackpore Residents blocked a number of roads as they staged fiery protests in
