Senior Reporter
jesse.ramdeo@cnc3.co.tt
Fifty residents of St John trace in Fyzabad are living in fear that every step across a bridge connecting them to the rest of the village could potentially bring them closer to a 15-foot fall into a murky river beneath rather than their destination on the other side.
Resident Keshav Ramroop told Guardian Media on Friday that the declining structural integrity of the bridge has placed their lives in limbo.
He said, “Honestly, you never know when this bridge can slip and go down, we can’t tell. The pillars that support the bridge are no longer existing. On either side, there is land erosion. It has collapsed on either side and the middle pillar has fallen into the river, so definitely no vehicle can pass, nothing. If you even take a walk on the bridge and you bounce, you’ll find the whole bridge shaking.”
Ramroop explained that the bridge has existed for almost a century and while works have been done periodically to strengthen it, structural deficiencies over the years have left many on the edge.
“They would have done some cosmetic repairs and so on, but over the years it deteriorated, vehicles passing, heavy vehicles used to pass in the back here and this is the only access from the main road to the village inside here.”
The residents also expressed concern for the safety of their vehicles, which they are forced to park several metres away from their homes due to the bridge’s inability to support their weight.
They said upon realising the weakening state of the bridge, they have been strengthening their calls for urgent intervention.
Ramroop said, “We have been in contact with the MP for the area and we have met with authorities from the regional corporation. Everyone visited the area, but in the end, it all circles back to the Ministry of Works so we are pleading for this matter to be addressed. If there is a fire in the back here, fire appliances cannot access or respond.”
According to Siparia mayor Doodnath Mayrhoo, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan previously visited the site several years ago, but nothing had since been done to repair the bridge.
“We brought him here in 2017, and he had seven years to put this bridge in a programme. This bridge doesn’t need repairs you know, it needs to be re-constructed in its entirety,” Mayrhoo said.
Resident Bissoondath Premchand also lamented that due to the risks posed by the bridge, Ganesh Utsav festivities, which have been a staple in the community for nearly 100 years, have had to be cancelled.
“We have been doing Ganesh pooja and the immersion of the murti. We used to do it here at the river and people used to come and participate but people don’t come again, due to safety reasons so we had to abandon the site.”
The residents are appealing for urgent intervention from the authorities to undertake emergency work on the structure.
Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan assured that an investigation into the matter would be conducted.
