Marigot:--- Residents and businesses of Rue de Low Town has given the Collectivity the next 48hours to find a solution to the sewage problems they are facing or deal with the fact they would block the roads until a solution is found. The Collectivity has 48 hours to find a solution or action will be taken said the residents.The resident's namely local businessman Paul Whit at a press conference yesterday said the stench is unbearable and several days he is forced to close his doors since no one is able to stick around the area. Whit said he personally spoke to the Vice President responsible for Health and Environmental Affairs Pierre Allioti who kept promising him he would deal with the situation but to date nothing has been done, except a visit from the health inspector who told him that people living in the area can catch cholera disease.
"When I spoke to Allioti he promised me faithfully he would deal with the matter and the next time I called back he transferred me to an employee". Whit said shortly after that the engineer visited the area and told him that it is not government who is responsible for what they are dealing with since the receivers are on private properties. He said he informed the engineer that it is the government who placed their receivers on private property and they are hooked up to these receivers. The businessman said irrespective of whose responsibility it is people's health is involved and a solution has to be found. Whit said he did not meet with the president of the COM even though he thought of it, he said he felt he dealt with the vice president that is in charge and that is like dealing with the President or the Council. He said now that they realized they are being played with by the COM they would take action. "Even the president of the fifth community council wrote a letter to the COM and they did not react" Whit explained. Furthermore when there is an overflow all the toilets are overflowing in the homes. The people in the neighborhood are
++6tired of buying disinfectants to clean out their homes when the toilets overflow. "This has happened to be twice so I know for a fact what these families are dealing with." The businessman explained.
Leo Mussington better known as Skanky another businessman in the neighborhood said his business used to do very well prior to the sewage overflow but recently he lost about 75% of business. He said he is very concerned about the young children that are living in the neighborhood since there are times when the nearby yards are flooded out with raw sewage. Furthermore government is working jointly to fight dengue but having this unhealthy situation can cause an epidemic in malaria or typhoid fever. Mussington said if children are bitten by the mosquitoes that are breeding in the sewage water it would be a dangerous health hazard. He said he is hoping for the health department or the COM to do something about this matter as early as today because they intend to move forward. He said his elderly mother is not able to sleep at night with the stench. "Already I lost my father and I love my mother dearly we don't want to loose her now. People have to start respecting us." Asked if he thinks politics is playing a roll in the situation, he said everything has its place and so is politics, however, this is a matter for the health and hygiene department to deal with rapidly.
This has been going on for over four months now but the past three weeks is unbearable. He said while this is about health and it is necessary for the government to protect the lives of human being. Whit said they are doing everything that is humanly possible to make sure a solution is found. "I need to know if it is because we are black or niggers that the government is not doing anything about the unhealthy situation. I believe if this was in a white neighborhood the problem would have been fixed already." Said the elderly Cleotilda Mussington.
"The residents here use to pool monies together to pump the sewage and sometimes we would pay people to clean out the area but now it is overflowing and no one wants to touch it. We even checked to see if the Collectivity would send their trucks and men and they said it's not their responsibility". Cloitilda Mussington a 76 year old woman whose cellar is flooded with sewage water. "I cannot take this any longer the bottom of my house is flooded with sewage, I have to keep all doors, and windows locked. I have had enough and something has to be done now." Mrs. Mussington said.
In the meantime Lenny Mussington said that he was made to understand that the road was not built properly and someone has to do major investment to regulate the problem. He said so far the COM does not want to claim responsibility neither SODEGA the General des Eaux, the water company. "they fixed the road in a rush and the necessary precaution was not taken with regards to the pipes that are now blocked which are now causing the backing up of the sewage. "When they built this road they did not safeguard and entry to clean or unblock the pipes."
Lenny Mussington said the authorities are playing a political football with the situation since they need to invest monies to dig the newly built road to find the problem. "I already indicated to my mother and the residents in this neighborhood that they need to take the necessary action since they made several phone calls, write letters as well as meet with the authorities who have failed to even visit the area.
These people are suffering peacefully and it is not affecting those that are elected. The only thing that has to be done has to give the COM an ultimatum which is to take action within the next 48-hours which is to block the roads. He said it is only when people (those in authorities) are inconvenienced they would take the time to negotiate and get things done since they are living comfortable in their villas.
