Andrew Smith and Ross Sheil, Gleaner Writers

A resident of North Street, central Kingston, peers out from behind a door into her yard, which was flooded with sewage that backed up from her toilet yesterday. - Andrew Smith/Photography Editor

Angry North Street residents blocked the road yesterday morning in protest against sewage and chicken waste that has been coming out of the drains and into the roads and their homes.

They said the problem has been ongoing for the past six weeks.

Standing by burning tyres and debris in the central Kingston roadway - on which The Gleaner Company is located - residents laid blame for the problem on the nearby Caribbean Broilers plant on Arnold Road.

Resident Richard Mullings showed a news team his house where sewage and chicken feathers flowed from the toilet and drains and covered the entire backyard. He said this happened every time there was heavy rain.

Diarrhoea

"A pure running belly and diarrhoea a kill de pickney," said irate shopkeeper, Marlon Brown, in highlighting his concerns about the health risks.

He said he had to lock his shop because he was unable to sell anything as a result of the stench.

Dr. Keith Amiel, group marketing manager for Caribbean Broilers, said the company had received complaints before but that filters usually prevented solids from entering the drains.

Dr. Amiel said a more advanced filtration system is to be installed early next year.

He claimed the factory pumps out as much as 40,000 gallons a day but that the final responsibility for keeping the drains clean should rest with the National Water Commission (NWC).

"I think we are the easiest target because when a flood occurs and it is tinged with blood, the plant can be readily identified," Dr. Amiel said. He stressed, however, that the plant was only one of the users of the water system in the area, which is shared with other large users such as Government buildings.

The Ministry of Health said it had been notified about the matter and had forwarded the information to the Waste Water Department at the NWC.

When contacted, the Waste Water Department said it had been unable to correct the problem but would try again today.