Filthy Harbour View street leads to traffic fatality

Tragedy struck on a sewage-filled Harbour View street in St Andrew last Tuesday after a motorist lost control of his vehicle while trying to navigate the mucky roadway.

The vehicle being driven by Devon Edwards, who lived in Port Royal, reportedly crashed into a utility pole near Harbour Drive.

Residents, commuters and people who do business in Harbour View have since stepped up their calls for a more astute response from the National Water Commission (NWC) to the sewage overflow problem in the area.

The issue surrounds the aged 200mm diameter asbestos cement sewers in the area, a section of which has apparently collapsed, resulting in sewer blockages and overflow from manholes.

A wastewater engineering report has identified the need for replacement and the NWC is now planning to upgrade the sewers to 300mm diameter, increasing the carrying capacity and reducing the risk of future challenges once used properly.

In a press release on Monday, the NWC said that it has engaged a contractor to carry out emergency work on the collapsed section of the Harbour View sewers at a cost of $84 million.

Although the NWC said the work began on Sunday and would continue over the next week or two to repair the problem, the people in the vicinity of the filthy streets on Monday remained uneasy.

Marvett Jones, a vendor who sells near to the sewage, told The Gleaner that she is desperate for a relief as the problem has been consistent for over a month, even with the NWC sending a cesspool truck daily to withdraw sewage.

“This is going on way too long now. It’s over a month and odd. This is not safe. You have basic school and other businesses which it’s affecting, and mi nuh see dem a do nothing,” she said.

“Dem come and draw and by time dem draw, like an hour and a half, it start run again,” Jones added.

Another resident, Debra Lincoln, said is “begging the authorities” to fix the problem.

“Dis ya gone way outa hand. A time fi dem fix it now. It’s over a month it going on for and it stink. Can you imagine the stench of it going all the way down to the basic school and to Harbour Drive?” Jones said.

“Lawd, have mercy, man! We need it to fix. It affecting everybody, walk foot, driver, everybody. It is time for them to do something about it,” she said.

David McIntosh, who works in the area, was disgusted as well.

“It smell high. Sometimes, it is real heavy, and I only work here. Can you imagine if I lived here?” he said.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com