More tyres burn in St Croix road protest

Residents gathered from as early as 4 am at separate locations along the St Croix Road — a few miles from Princes Town. Burning debris was placed across the road, causing a massive traffic jam in which the road from Chung Lee Junction; Cemetery Street Junction and Dove Trace Junction were impassable for hours.

Two weeks ago, the residents staged a similar protest over a lack of water, but temporary relief came when the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) dispatched trucks to the area. A WASA valve was also opened, but according to Conrad Wilson, the pipe- borne supply lasted just one day.

Wilson told Newsday yesterday that the water situation was so bad that several residents were forced to stay away from work and schools.

Yesterday, residents brought their children, who were kept away from school in the blazing midday heat with placards. Some of placards read, "De people want water; can’t even take a bath." "Water is like diamond, precious and rare." "We don’t have any because we don’t have money."

As tyres and debris burned, some residents dragged rusty steel water tanks across the street. This occurred in full view of policemen who seemed hesitant to act. The fire blazed and motorists and passengers watched in frustration. Policemen in two vehicles parked nearby remained in their cars with the windows up.

WASA officials pulled up in vehicles at Chung Lee Junction and were greeted by an angry mob of residents. They surrounded the officials and pleaded with them for water. WASA’s acting distribution system manager (South), Vishnu Baboolal, promised the residents that water trucks would be dispatched. He also told residents that the water valves would be opened. Baboolal explained that the area’s pipes had several leaks which required repair, and he promised to have the lines fixed.

The acting distribution systems manager also called on all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Works and the Princes Town Regional Corporation, to pool their resources together to solve the water problem in the area.