Twenty-three families living along the O’Meara River in Carapo are demanding answers after the water course was “mysteriously” diverted and now runs closer to their homes. The diversion, they said, occurred without any consultation from them, and reportedly without permission from the Drainage Division of the Ministry of Works.
Margaret Fenton, a resident of Racecourse Road, for the past 30 years says she was afraid the river would cause her home to cave in. On a visit to the site the river bank showed signs of collapsing as loose soil fell into the water. Located across the river from the Racecourse Road is a parcel of land purchased for the development of private homes for Signature Park, Phase 2.
Since residents began complaining work on the new development has ceased. Fenton said when she moved to O’Meara, the river was a few hundred feet away from her home. “We used to plant garden in the back, there was a lot more land than there is now,” Fenton said. Land developers began changing the river course, which has in the past breached its bank and flooded roads in the area, last year.
Residents said they suddenly saw excavators and other heavy equipment and assumed the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation had sent workers to dredge the river. It was only two months ago that they noticed the land on their side of the bank being cleared and truck loads of soil being brought to fill the river.
Homeowner, Ramrattan Singh, who once planted in his backyard, lost yams, plantains, tomatoes and other crops which he grew to feed his family. “My neighbour tell me he saw a man walking and cutting down the garden before they started to dig to move the river,” Singh said. Singh, who lives with his wife, two children and grandchildren on the property, said he did not expect compensation for his lost crops.
“I know that the garden gone but I want them to at least protect the properties on the river bank.
“At least build a retaining wall or something to keep the river from taking our homes.”
Other residents feel their situation was being ignored and accused their local government councillor Derek Le Guerre of neglect. Le Guerre, in a telephone interview yesterday, said the work was done to eradicate flooding in the area but was not done by the Ministry of Local Government.