Noise nuisance from steel fabricators

THE EDITOR: Please give us, the residents of Braithwaite Street, Tunapuna, and surroundings the opportunity to voice our problem so that the people of Trinidad and Tobago can be aware of who or what is the Environmental Management Authority (EMA). For many years, we the residents have been experiencing a noise pollution problem through the operation of a steel fabrication company in the neighbourhood. Over two years several attempts have been made to get the so-called “authority,” EMA to look into the situation, but to no avail. Nothing has been done and all you keep getting from them is “we will check into it,” if not “we will be sending someone to look into the matter” or even worse “we made a check and it has been so long that we have to come back and take new readings or recording.”

Now tell me, if over two years records were taken and expired, can you imagine how long it will take them to get some new ones and act on it. We the residents are truly tired and fed up and will like to know why the EMA has not taken serious action about this matter. Sometimes one wonders if the reason for enacting laws and acts are just to pacify citizens of this country? Do you think they just want to say we put this act into effect? Well, I don’t think so, I think it is there for guidance and to take necessary action. Criminals are arrested, if the law is broken what about the owner of this fabrication company. Tell that to the EMA. Tell me why can this man, if he has a conscience, carry or take his business to one of the industrial estates? Macoya has one, Caroni has one, let this company go there.

There are residents who have new born babies and are really experiencing a hard time for their new born to sleep. Also, people who are studying and even those who are sick are forced to hear steel dropping, and pounding all the time from as early as 8 am up to 5.30 pm or even later and if that is not bad enough what about your peaceful Saturdays and Sundays, yes they are there too. So, please we are literally begging for our voices to be heard and to let this so-called authority do something about this noise pollution for the residents of Braithwaite Street, Tunapuna. We are hoping that something is done before the end of the year.

ABIGAIL PERRY
Tunapuna