Faced with an influx of mosquitoes and the possibility of contracting Zika, frustrated residents of St Croix Road, Princes Town, want Government to spray their homes and dig a drain to rid the area of stagnant water.
The residents live close to a swampy piece of land once used to cultivate rice. Resident Shamir Mohammed said over the past 50 years, residents backfilled the lagoon lands to build houses without providing proper drains.
“Now the water is backing up and causing damage to people’s properties,” Mohammed said. He said people could not live in their homes because of the mosquitoes.
Anesha Hosein, who was among those backfilling her lands, said she had to send her two-year-old son Josh out of the village because of the mosquitoes.
“We sleep under nets but it is not enough. Since we living here five years ago we cannot rest,” she said. About one month ago, Hosein said, she developed high fever and body pains.
“The doctor told me that I have to do a blood test that it could be Zika or ChikV but I am afraid of needles so I never did it,” she said. Her younger son fell ill and that was when Hosein and her husband, Anil Bridgelal, decided to take him out of the village. Hosein said they are now contemplating whether they should sell their house and relocate.
Another neighbour, Farook Hosein, said several months ago, a portion of the swampy land was backfilled. “There used to be a drain here but since the land was backfilled the water has nowhere to run. Snake and alligator coming up in the back here. It making us sick. We want help to open up the drain,” Hosein said.
Chicken farmer Ahamad Hosein said the residents were willing to open up access to their lands to allow the authorities to fix the problem.
Contacted yesterday, chairman of the Princes Town Regional Corporation, Aiknath Singh, said he will have the area sprayed as early as tomorrow. He also said that he will investigate the residents’ complaints.