River threatens Aranjuez homes

ARANJUEZ residents already facing water and electricity woes now have to contend with the threat posed by the San Juan River. Aziz Ali, an auto electrical mechanic who has lived at Johnny King Road for three years, fears his home will soon collapse into the river. Heavy flooding on October 2 ripped away the back of his wall, leaving part of his yard under water. Ali was in Guyana at the time and heard the unfortunate news from his wife. “When I bought the house three years ago, I had to put up a wall which collapsed because of the river. The first time I moved here, the river was ten feet away from the bank. Now my yard and house can go under water the next time heavy flooding occurs. “When I went to the Ministry of Works and Transport they told me they were not responsible for the river,” said Ali. He told Newsday he was still living in the house with his wife Debbie, as they refused to leave the area.

“We like living here and wish that someone from Government would help us with our problem,” he said. Chairman of the Upper Aranjuez Village Council Bissoon Birsingh said there had been massive erosion around the river and three other homes near the river were in danger. “Those villagers were warned by the Drainage Division not to build close to the river, but they ignored the warning,” he said. Birsingh said the Ministry of Works is reluctant to help them. “Although the division told them not to build there, the least they can do is build a wall along the bank, so that less flooding would occur,” said Birsingh. When Newsday contacted the Ministry of Works and Transport, an official from the Curepe Drainage Division said a contract had just been awarded for work to start at the San Juan River Bridge. He told Newsday this will include construction of a barrier to protect Ali’s home, as well as the other houses being affected by the river. Work is expected to begin shortly.