SHALIZA HASSANALI
Days before the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) wrapped up the controversial Beetham Gardens pipeline project, thieves carted away almost $113,000 in materials and pipelines from its job site.
The thieves resisted security officers on duty and helped themselves to sheetings, varying lengths of pipelines, chain link fence, plyboards, red sand, metal jacks for shoring, diesel, shackles, manhole keys and frames and covers. Except for the diesel, the other items were stolen by thieves in one night using a truck and other vehicles. The value of the items was $112,750.
The $14.1 million project came to a close last week with road restoration still to be undertaken.
Work on the pipeline began last October.
Yesterday, Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales confirmed the items had been stolen “about two weeks ago” and police officers had to be called out to ensure law and order.
“The items were unfortunately stolen as the work was nearing an end. In some instances, the vandals resisted the security on-site to remove the items,” Gonzales disclosed.
Gonzales also admitted, “The project was plagued with many unforeseen challenges of varying nature which caused some unintended inconveniences to the residents.”
He said WASA crews and the main contractor, Sat Sais Company Ltd, went out of their way to complete the project.
“It was a difficult job with the replacement of pipelines and concrete cylinders which cost WASA $14.1 million.”
In early January, the project, which was plagued by delays, triggered a fiery protest by angry residents who had complained of a ruptured pipeline and the overflow of raw sewerage and an offensive smell in the community. The sewer line also caused a 15-foot-wide sinkhole on Main Street in Beetham. The protest resulted in an early morning traffic gridlock on the Beetham Highway and Priority Bus Route. Police had to be called out to quell the situation.
Three weeks later, Gonzales visited the community to get a progress report on the job and admitted that the protest action was fuelled by politics and acts of sabotage. Gonzales said the sewer on the streets was a result of some elements in the Beetham community tampering with pumps the authority had rented to undertake works. The elements were also accused of stealing diesel from the pumps which could not channel sewer out of the community causing raw faeces to back up.
A worker on the site told Guardian Media, “The bandits stole anything valuable they got their hands on at the site. We suspect the culprits involved are from the area.”
The theft, which was reported to Besson Street police, is under investigation.
List of items stolen
• 10 steel sheets
• 4 frame and covers
• 6 lengths of 4-inch MS (mild steel) pipe
• 4 lengths of 6-inch MS (mild steel) pipe
• 2 sheets of plyboard
• 1 load of red sand.
• 1 length of cable from generator
• 14 metal jacks for shoring.
• Manhole keys (metal)
• Diesel
• 1 roll chain link fence
• 4 shackles