Better water supply promised but Lodge residents concerned over road damage
By Andrew Richards
Pipelines are being laid in upper Hadfield Street, Lodge, but the damage being done to the road is a source of concern to residents in the area despite assurances by the Georgetown Sewerage & Water Commissioners (GS&WC). "Development has its pains. But we are making every effort to address the issue to ensure unnecessary discomfort is not endured by the residents," General Manager of GS&WC, Gladstone Fausett told Stabroek News when contacted on Saturday. The laying of trunk mains in the area is being done under Phase One of GS&WC's Remedial Programme. The work currently underway is being done by contractor Harry Persaud and Sons and is the last portion of four miles of pipe laying being done around Georgetown. The road in the upper Hadfield Street area is not paved and the heavy machinery has caused a lot of damage to the surface. The parapet is being dug up by a Hymac and a bulldozer covers the hole after the pipes are inserted. During the digging of the parapet, damage was also done to some areas where residents had constructed pall-offs to fortify the abutting land. The road was almost impassable at one stage and ingress and egress to some homes were hindered by the large pipes laid across the entrances. Fausett has assured that the contractor has agreed to the restoration of damaged areas including the road. "We have written to the contractor over the weekend reminding him of his obligations under the contract," Fausett stated. The bad weather has made the work more difficult but it is scheduled to be completed by the end of May, he said. "In the interim, we are trying to make it as easy as possible for everyone." Officers from the GS&WC had visited the work site last week to check on the progress, the General Manager said, and he himself made an inspection on Thursday where he spoke to some residents. Some of the people living in the neighbourhood had told this newspaper they were peeved that no notice was given to them before the work commenced in the area. Because of this, some of them were not prepared and were inconvenienced in many ways, one resident said. According to Fausett, the issuing of notices is routine and sometimes even community meetings are held to ensure residents are made aware of impending projects. He was, however, not sure if this was done for the residents of Lodge. Fausett said the pipeline will link the houses in the Lodge area with the water tanks in Sophia, giving them an improved service with greater water pressure. Presently, the Lodge residents receive water only from the Shelter Belt, he noted. The pipeline will run along Hadfield Street and connect to the existing one on Mandela Avenue. This is part of the work being done to the water distribution network to ensure continuous supply for residents, Fausett stated. In last Thursday's publication of Stabroek News a letter writer, Tariq Nadir, expressed disgust at the manner in which utility companies dig up roads when carrying out their work and inadequately repair them. "These people cut trenches across our main thoroughfares, fill them up with a bit of sand and loam, and two days and two showers later, there's a trench again," Nadir stated. Nadir said the authorities must insist that the roads be repaired by the entities which damage them and must be done in a timely manner. He cited as examples of bad work in this regard projects on the East Bank Demerara road close to Eccles, the West Coast Demerara road at Crane, Vreed-en-Hoop and La Union, and Lombard Street in Georgetown.
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