Residents frustrated as heavy-duty vehicles damage Belle West main access road

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Residents of Belle West Phase Two, Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD) are growing frustrated with the deplorable state of the dam located in the area – which serves as the main access road for dwellers there.

By: Amar Persaud 

Residents of Belle West Phase Two, Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD) are growing frustrated with the deplorable state of the dam located in the area – which serves as the main access road for dwellers there.

The dam is reportedly being damaged by heavy-duty vehicles which traverse there daily, even though there is a designated trail for those categories of vehicles to utilise.

Venu Persaud, a resident of some ten years, told this publication that the farmers have other dams which they can use to access their farms but instead, they choose to use the main access road.

“It has people in the area at that part and the farmers in the area are using tractors and breaking up the dam and they have access dams to their farm which they are not using,” the resident vented.

“We have been living here about eight to ten years and since we living here, we having this issue,” Persaud further lamented.

The resident explained that many persons are still in the process of building their homes and the deplorable state of the road makes it hard to transport materials to the construction sites.

“Is four years now I doing my house and the material can’t go in,” he posited.

The dam which the farmers are reportedly supposed to utilise to access their farms

Another resident, Sursattie Bimaul, shared similar concerns. Compounding her situation is the fact that many farmers park in front of her house.

“These farmers are parking in front of my entrance and it is affecting me…if any family want to visit me, they cannot get to park, the road is also very bad, it’s very disgusting and disturbing,” she lamented.

Over the years, residents say they have raised the matter with the Community Service Group and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) but to date, the situation remains unchanged.

“We made several complaints and the NDC, the Community Service Group, nobody ain’t doing nothing,” Persaud expressed.

“Up to yesterday we made complaints to the people in charge for the Community Service…the people who working with the NDC living in the area also and they are not doing anything about it,” he added.

INews contacted the NDC and the spokesperson said no comments can be provided on the matter at this point.

In October 2021, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had issued a warning to heavy-duty machine operators about the damages they are causing to community roads. At the time, the Minister had urged residents of affected communities to speak out against these actions.

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