Cumaca, Valencia, is known for its lush surroundings and the Turure Water Steps. But residents say the rural community has been forgotten for years.
“The forgotten village of Cumaca, that’s what I call it,” resident Zephrin Alfonso-James told News 19 TT.
Alfonso-James moved to Cumaca with his family nine years ago, seeking peace and quiet. Instead, he says, they have been left without pipe-borne water, despite repeated calls for help.
And they are not alone. About 30 other families face the same problem. Read Part One of the forgotten village of Cumaca here.
Repeated calls for resolution have fallen on deaf ears.
Garbage collection problems leave Cumaca residents frustrated
But water woes aren’t the only thing plaguing Cumaca.
“When allyuh sending the garbage truck? I fed up tote garbage, fed up. It is utterly ridiculous, till the person where we dumping the garbage opposite want to sell the land too,” Alfonso-James said.
Alfonso-James explained that residents were told that garbage collection from their homes would cease.
Instead, they were directed to place their garbage at a designated spot for collection.
Another resident Sandra Paponette says the instruction was given over two years ago, as the sanitation truck driver told residents the roads were too dilapidated for the truck to pass.
Resident Lisa D’Andrede said the garbage pile is not only an eyesore, it’s a health hazard.
“We have an issue with the garbage out the road there, where county told us to put the garbage there, they had a bin and the garbage is just piling up. It’s unsanitary, it’s disgusting.
“They started coming and picking it up, a truck used to come and pick it up, that has stopped.
“So now I’ve been observing the truck would pull up at a certain time, they would light it, turn their back and go,” D’Andrede alleges.
“Who is to say how much of the garbage is being burnt?” she asked.
Poor roads add to Cumaca residents’ frustration
The dilapidated roads add another layer of frustration.
To visit Cumaca, you must navigate countless potholes and large parts of the roadway are unpaved.
The further into the community you venture, the worse the road gets.
The residents say they have been complaining for years.
Two quarries operate in the community and the residents say the trucks that use the road often drop large pieces of dirt, which either become mud if there is rainfall or dust if there is not.
“One of the things we deal with up in here is when the trucks up and down, we have a built up of dust,” D’Andrede said.
“You can’t say you will take a lil’ bit of water in a bucket and sprinkle to ease the dust,” she added.
Albert Paponette, who has lived in Cumaca for almost all of his 75 years, simply wants the roads to be fixed. He said the community deserves more.
D’Andrede said with the neglect they have faced, more residents are deciding to stay away from the polls come election season.
“I voting for Jesus! That’s the only person (sic) that could help us right now, because nobody takes us on,” she said.
“We are so selfish now is a shame, no matter what position we sit in, that’s the reality of it, we have become a selfish society.”
WASA/Sangre Grande Regional Corporation yet to respond
News 19 TT sent questions to WASA’s Corporate Communications Manager Kristy Ramnarine by WhatsApp and email on August 10 and 11.
The questions were: Can WASA confirm why the pipe borne supply to Cumaca was discontinued after being connected approximately 15 years ago, and why it has not been restored?
Does WASA have a record of the letters submitted by residents, including those submitted by Lisa D’Andrede, and if so, why did they go unanswered?
What is WASA’s response to claims that customers were billed for water service they were not receiving?
What is WASA’s process for addressing communities like Cumaca, where infrastructure has been installed but service is not being delivered?
Are there any current plans to restore or improve the water supply to Cumaca?
Up until publication time, there was no response.
Questions were also sent to Sangre Grande Regional Corporation chairman Kenwyn Phillip by WhatsApp on August 11 after a brief phone conversation.
Those questions were: Why was regular garbage collection from homes in Cumaca stopped, and when did this change take effect?
Was the decision to have residents take their garbage to a central collection point made by the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, and who authorised it?
How often is the Corporation supposed to collect garbage from that location, and why are residents now reporting that waste is being left there and burned?
Is the Corporation aware that sanitation workers are burning accumulated garbage, and what action has been taken to stop this?
Has the Corporation assessed the health and environmental risks associated with allowing a large amount of household waste to accumulate and be burned in a residential community?
Are the poor road conditions in Cumaca preventing sanitation trucks from reaching residents’ homes, and if so, what specific roads are affected?
What is the Corporation doing to address the condition of those roads, and is there a firm timeline for repairs?
Does the Corporation plan to restore door-to-door garbage collection in Cumaca? If so, when can residents expect that service to resume?
If door-to-door collection cannot resume, what safe and permanent alternative will the Corporation provide, and who will be responsible for maintaining the collection site?
What would you say to Cumaca residents who feel they are being forced to live with accumulated garbage and poor roads without a clear timeline for a solution?
Up until publication time, Phillip had not responded.