Tuesday, April 22 2008

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UNABLE TO COPE: A resident of La Canoa, Santa Cruz, covers his nose from the stench of the garbage strewn across an empty plot of land....

For years, the deplorable conditions of a lot of land on La Canoa Road in lower Santa Cruz, have been a source of discomfort and frustration for some residents of the area.

According to the residents, there was a parcel of land on the road which was nicknamed ‘‘the mini la basse’’ because it was constantly used as a dumping ground by other people in the area. “People seem to throw everything they no longer want on the land. You can find everything from garbage bags to broken furniture, right next to the road.

“Some people have the decency to hang their garbage on a nearby fence, but most seem to simply throw it in the general area not caring where it lands. That is just not right.” said one irate resident who wished to remain anonymous.

The residents said the garbage bags which were thrown at the side of the road, were in the reach of stray dogs that lurked in the area. They claimed these dogs would rip apart the garbage bags and scatter its contents, worsening the situation daily.

“The garbage trucks collect only the garbage bags that are whole. They do not pick up the garbage which is lying all over the ground,” an affected resident complained. The residents indicated that anyone who walked past this area was almost immediately smothered with a sickening and overpowering scent.

The residents said however, the situation was not always this bad. They recalled a long time ago, when there were two drums near the present site. However with time, the drums became rotted and were destroyed. Residents however continued throwing their garbage on the site. The situation subsequently became worse about four years ago when some residents began throwing dead animals on the site. From then it worsened when people began throwing mattresses, pipes and even car parts in the area as well. “We tried to tell a few people to stop, but this is a lonesome community. People tend to stick to themselves,” another resident said.

The residents were unwilling to disclose their names saying they feared repercussions from other people in the area.

However, they have made several complaints to the San Juan / Laventille Regional Corporation about the situation, but so far have gotten no response.

The angry residents explained they were not blaming any governmental authority and acknowledged it was a problem created by the community. All they were asking for was a large bin to be placed in the area. Several calls by Newsday to the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation went unanswered yesterday evening.