VROMI Cabinet Policy Advisor Luciano Nicholls inspecting the landslide from the roof of a home in Ebenezer.
PHILIPSBURG--The Cabinet of the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI on Sunday inspected two areas in South Reward and Ebenezer where a road and a retaining wall collapsed following heavy rainfall over the weekend.
Cassava Road in South Reward was one of several roads that were recently paved in the government’s hard-surfacing programme, but this road and parts of the area have partially collapsed, according to a press release issued by the VROMI Cabinet on Sunday night.
The press release cited pooling water on the road surface, lack of a retaining wall and proper drainage, and a “large amount of rainfall within a short period of time” as reasons for the collapse. Motorists are being asked to use the road with caution.
“Since joining the cabinet, the importance of quality over quick fixes has been stressed and the result of not having this can be seen in the impact of the rain in this area,” said VROMI Cabinet Policy Advisor Luciano Nicholls.
A landslide on Saturday also caused sections of a retaining wall from a property in Valley Estate to end up in the yard of a resident in Ebenezer and in the area’s main drainage trench.
“The entire wall, soil and debris are now sitting in the [main – Ed.] trench, which will have an impact on the natural drainage of water in the area in the upcoming few days,” it was stated in the press release. “In discussion with the affected residents, it was noted that two separate complaints, dated November 2022 and August 2023, were lodged and were not responded to, regarding erosion in the area around Ebenezer main trench, which has not been regularly cleaned in over two years. The collapse of Saturday has left a two-storey-high hill face exposed.”
According to the press release, the VROMI Ministry has decided to leave the wall in place to “mitigate the impact of potential landslides” but urges residents “along the main trench (border with Ebezener and Valley Estate) to be cautious of blockages that may obstruct the free flow of water.”
The VROMI Cabinet said the ministry had started cleaning trenches in the Ebenezer area two weeks ago and that this work is ongoing.
VROMI Cabinet Policy Advisor Luciano Nicholls inspecting a septic tank that collapsed into a yard in Ebenezer.
“The Ministry remains committed to improvement and I, as Minister, apologise for the impact that poor decision-making and lack of response has had on the lives of many of you, but it will get better,” said caretaker VROMI Minister Patrice Gumbs. “Incidents like these clearly demonstrate the need for proper and sustainable development going forward, including proper infrastructure management. This is why we are working to finalise the long-awaited trenching contract, the establishment of the road fund, and improving upon road quality and drainage.”
