Ministry To Implement ‘Permanent’ Fix To Massive Landslip In Princes Town

Pictured Above: A collapsed house at Mandingo Road, Princes Town. (Credit: Michelle Benjamin). See more photos here.

In a Media Release on Thursday (18th March 2021), the Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) said it is aware of, and notes with great concern, the severe landslip activity at Mandingo Road in Princes Town.

According to the Ministry, “Subsequent to the closure of the Mandingo Road 1.60 Km mark on 29th December 2020, the Highways Division of the Ministry of Works and Transport has been undertaking the necessary technical investigations to determine a permanent solution to stabilise the failed slope and to reconstruct the roadway.”

The Ministry noted that the recent, unseasonably heavy rainfall over the past few days has exacerbated the erosion, which has resulted in further loss of the embankment and collapse of the roadway. In light of this rapid advancement of erosion, the Ministry said it is exploring interim slope stabilisation measures to reduce further deterioration of the slope until the permanent works are designed and tendered.

In the interest of the safety of motorists, the public is reminded of the alternative access route available via Realize Branch Road and Sahadath Road.

Prior to this response from the Ministry, Member of Parliament for Moruga/Tableland, Michelle Benjamin, issued an extensive Press Release on Wednesday (17th March 2021) about the grave situation at Mandingo Road and called upon the Ministry for assistance (see below).

PRESS RELEASE

MANDINGO ROAD AND OTHER MAJOR LANDSLIPS IN MORUGA / TABLELAND

With the recent heavy rains, residents of Mandingo Road are in fear that another home would be lost as just last year they witnessed the collapse of their neighbour’s home. The landslide located at 119 Mandingo Road, Princes Town, according to residents Shamina and Shaffena Mohammed and Mazurat and Intaff Ali stems from an underground trench accommodating telecommunication infrastructure.

The first instance of seepage was experienced in 2012 and the residents made arrangements to concrete their yard and continuously fill cracks which were observed.

Last year however, saw further destruction to the homes in the vicinity of the area. Correspondence was sent and complaints were made on numerous occasions to various authorities and the Ministry of Works and Transport. However, the Telecommunication Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT) and the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) remain adamant that their trench is not the root cause of the water seepage and landslide.

The residents are in fear that their homes will soon be lost and that those responsible will not be held accountable for what has occurred.

Member of Parliament for Moruga/Tableland, Michelle Benjamin has pledged her support as she joins in the cry for assistance for the residents in Mandingo Road. The road is a major access route and as such, the community has been left isolated since December 2020 and forced to use a different access road - Sahadath Road - which is also caving in. Businesses along that road are also on the verge of closure as commuters no longer use the road and sales would have decreased during the pandemic.

In another area of the constituency, Lengua Road, residents and businesses there are suffering the same fate. Robin Singh has explained that since 2017 he had noticed the land slowly slipping. A neighbour of his lost his home completely. Over the years his yard was carved away, cracks were apparent and the porch fell away. Numerous reports were made to relevant authorities and members of the media visited the area along with government representatives. Finance minister, Colm Imbert himself was present in February 2018 when Mr. Singh was promised that the landslide will be repaired “as soon as possible”. A soil test was performed in December 2020 to January 2021 and two weeks ago, at the beginning of March, the land was surveyed.

Residents of both Mandingo and Lengua Roads are fearful that if weather patterns continue with heavy rainfall, the situation will be exacerbated. Mr. Singh lamented that he and his family are unable to sleep at night thinking that the worst can happen to their home. These concerns expressed are quite similar to the cries of residents of Loney Road, the Calendar family from Cachipe, families in Warwell and many other parts of the Moruga/Tableland constituency. The residents are calling on the urgent action and response of the Ministry of Works and Transport whose representatives are silent in these matters although responsible for repairs and some degree of consideration.

The aforementioned issues were highlighted on three different occasions in the press and in both print and digital media. We are now calling on the Ministry of Works and relevant authorities to please assist in this strongly unfortunate and painful situation.

END