Often times you read of stories where people against all building codes, construct homes near the riverbank, then when the rains come, Mother Nature does the rest.
But this time you can’t help but sympathise with the people who live near the Mausica River along the Race Course Road in Carapo.
Residents say two years ago the river was at a comfortable distance from their homes, now due to overgrown grass and a lack of dredging, the river has broken from its straight path and now meanders to the left and right, taking it to their back step.
And now whenever there is heavy rainfall they have to consider evacuation.
“It’s terrible because a customary practice for us now is to call my other kids from another area and say we need to come by you all, we actually had to wade out of the area with my two grandchildren. It’s a terrifying feeling, you can’t sleep in the night because the water can come up to your doorstep, it’s a horror story,” said Symond Persad, a resident for over 10 years.
Several houses are said to be at the mercy of the river.
Simone Joseph who has lived there for nearly 20 years said they’ve lost crops and land that they had intentions of passing on to their children.
“It is hard to know that you pay for the property for the future generation and they come to lose it by natural disaster.”
Meanwhile resident Andrew Persad said the solution is simple.
“For the past 5 years, they didn’t clean the river so every rainy season when the river comes down it keeps going into the properties, taking away our citrus and crops and this is just part of it, almost 100 houses are affected.”
Standing on what was a roadway, now rubble because of the river’s new path, Juvon Jadoo said some people are now living 4 to 5 feet away from the river, two years ago that distance would have been several meters.
“Sometimes the rain doesn’t even have to fall here because this is coming from the mountain, so once rain falling there, all here fills up.”
The residents said they’ve made several overtures to the Tunapuna Piarco Regional Corporation but the last councillor told them that they will need a police escort because Carapo is deemed to be a crime hot spot.
Guardian Media attempted to get in touch with the Chairman of the regional corporation but was unsuccessful.
The villagers said they are even willing to lend their labour free of charge. So desperate they are to keep their homes.