When the people of the Beetham and Laventille get fed up of the ongoing sewage leaks, chemical leaks, and poor water supply and block the highway, main road, and bus route again, I doh want to hear none ah allyuh whining.

I know you’ll whine, eh. I just want you to know I won’t care, just like you don’t care about what’s happening to them now:

The problem began on June 21 when employees at the Coconut Growers Association (CGA) in Laventille identified a chemical leak coming from company’s refrigeration system.

Eight employees were hospitalised as a result.

CGA, Success Laventille RC School and other businesses were forced to close early.

The leak and subsequent response caused bumper-to-bumper traffic along the Priority Bus Route and Beetham Highway as fire officers and police shut down the immediate area.

Speaking with Newsday on June 25, one resident who preferred to remain anonymous said the stench is making the community feel unwell.

So that’s four days of breathing fumes, despite the fact that the police and fire services responded.

And then there’s this:

Compounding their distress, Beetham Gardens has also been dealing with ongoing water and sewage issues for months.

Last month residents held a peaceful demonstration to highlight the ongoing issue of sewer lines leaking and overflowing onto the roads and into people’s homes.

Meanwhile, two significant leaks in the Hollis 24-inch water main have left many homes without a reliable water supply.

“We are unable to get water to our houses and WASA trucks just drive by on the bus route, see the leak and do nothing about it,” one disgruntled resident said.

Residents says calls to the local councillor and member of Parliament have gone unanswered, adding to their frustration.

“We have to rely on a nearby standpipe and carry water by hand to provide for our families.

“When water does come through the pipes, it’s brown,” another resident shared.

Residents say children in the community have fallen ill from drinking the contaminated water and developed sores from bathing with it.

When Newsday contacted WASA on June 25, representatives responded saying they were previously unaware of the leaks but promised to address the issue.

Mind you, I’m not saying they should bring the nation to a standstill. As a person who is intimately familiar with the daily commute into and out of Port of Spain, I know very well what a nightmare that would be.

What I am saying is that these people have been asking very politely for YEARS if WASA could pretty please do something about the raw sewage leaking into their homes.

Deonanan, Josette N. Beetham residents protest water crisis, ammonia stench. 26th June, 2024. Newsday.

Their MP doh business (he’s too busy sticking his foot in his mouth on other matters), the last thing I heard from the Minister of Public Utilities is that he’s thinking about raising the price of that dirty water, and WASA’s pretending not to see a leak that is right next to the bus route.

And they know we don’t care about them. If it wasn’t obvious before, we made it crystal clear when we built a whole wall to ensure that Barack Obama wouldn’t have to lay eyes on them as he made his way to the capital city back in 2009.

So, if the only options we’re leaving them with are to live with sewage (and without clean water) or to force us to pay attention, how much longer do you think they’ll go with option A?

How long would you?