By Adrian Frater, News Editor
These two female residents of the Cornwall Courts housing scheme, in Montego Bay, cleaning up after last Saturday's heavy rains, which pelted sections of the city. - Patrick Campbell/Freelance Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE HEAVY rains that lashed sections of Montego Bay last Saturday afternoon were definitely not showers of blessing for some residents in the one-bedroom section of the Cornwall Courts Housing Scheme, which had to endure a mixture of flood waters and sewerage flowing through their homes.
"You can see it for yourself," said a dejected Ms. Petrina Hudson, as she pointed out clear evidence of the intrusion of sewage in her house, which is located on Ramtallie Boulevard. "This has been the situation in the four years since I have been living here and that is despite regular complaints to the National Housing Trust (NHT)."
While a frustrated Ms. Hudson was agonising about the filthy state of her house, which still had the acrid smell of sewage even after several applications of disinfectant, other residents of the area were also quite upset, complaining bitterly to The Gleaner about the severe water damage that has been done to their furniture and other possessions.
DAMAGE TO POSSESSIONS
"Look at my nice settee, look at my bed, look at my children's clothes," said Yvette Smith, who said the flooding of her home is now a perennial nightmare. "I have even erected a retaining wall as a barrier between my house and the roadway but that has not helped. This is more frustration than I can bear."
As the Gleaner team travelled around the affected area, more evidence of devastation was evident. Clothing and furniture were seen scattered in many front yards as residents armed with hoses and push-brooms worked feverishly to make their homes habitable once again.
INFRASTRUCTURAL PROBLEMS
While flooding was the primary concern on Saturday, some residents complained to The Gleaner about other deficiencies in the overall infrastructure of their homes. Some complained about leaking roofs while others cited large cracks opening up in their homes.
"My roof and walls are cracking up. Whenever it rains, my roof leaks constantly," said housewife Wilby Gayle-Hill, who thinks householders in the community have got a raw deal from the NHT. "I think what is happening to us is more than a raw deal as the NHT has been ignoring our plight."
However, when The Gleaner contacted the Montego Bay offices of the NHT on Tuesday, housing official Donavan Evans, said the NHT was sympathetic to the plight of the residents. He said it was not true that the NHT had left them to battle the perils of the elements on their own.
"There is a peril insurance scheme in place to address matters such as those," said Mr. Evans. "I would advise the affected persons to come in and discuss their situation with us so they can access whatever benefits the insurance scheme has to offer."
