Residents of Mendoza Drive in Duncan Village, San Fernando, are worried about a sinkhole they've been living with for six months – while it gets bigger and bigger.
Now they're calling on the authorities again to fix it.
When Newsday visited on Wednesday, Derek Gilkes said, “I really can’t say what is the cause of the hole but it started to get wider and wider because of the heavy rain.”
Gilkes is just over five feet tall and climbed into the hole to give Newsday a perspective of its depth.He fitted in it almost completely – the hole was just under five feet deep.
Residents have tried filling the hole with gravel and other materials, but rain usually washes the materials away, along a drain next to the hole.
Gilkes said it's damaged some vehicles, and as it grows larger, residents are concerned it could pose a greater danger to drivers.
[caption id="attachment_906650" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Derek Gilkes of Duncan Village, San Fernando, placed an old washing machine in a sinkhole as a caution to motorists. Photo by Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
Apart from the hole, some of the street’s extensions are suffering from regular flooding because of clogged drains.
Gilkes showed Newsday a drain on his street which was overgrown with bush. Because of the clogged drain, his house is regularly flooded after heavy rain.
“We’ve tried to clean it (the drain) for ourselves, but there’s only so much we can do.”
Residents have reported these issues to the San Fernando Regional Corporation, but they are yet to receive a visit from corporation workers.
“They said they are coming, but they’ve never come," said Gilkes, with one exception: “They just come and cut some grass. But that was it.”
Newsday contacted San Fernando mayor Junia Regrello for comment.
Regrello said he was not aware of the hole, or the other complaints from residents, but said he would contact them to hear their concerns and then make a comment.
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