In getting to the Indian Immigration Heritage site at Plantation Highbury, along the Eastern Banks of the Berbice River, President Donald Ramotar, on Saturday, had to pass along the treacherous and pot- holed-ridden East Bank Berbice Public Road. The 25-mile stretch of road begins from Tacama Turn, Stanleytown, New Amsterdam and ends at Mara and Germania Villages. Highbury is just about the half- way point during the 25-mile journey.
Calls have been repeatedly made for a new road, especially in most deplorable portions which exist from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
On Saturday, the President and his motorcade had to- perhaps for the first time- endure the dilapidated East Bank Berbice Road firsthand, swerving from all of the bumps and huge craters as much as it could.
Crusher run was hurriedly placed along the roadway in the larger holes in anticipation of the increased traffic on Saturday to access Highbury.
Two residents, a husband and wife, Mr. Peter dos Ramos and retired teacher, Mrs. Rose dos Ramos chose to do something radical on Saturday morning.
The two residents are being constantly and heavily affected by the dust emanating from work being undertaken by a contractor who has been stationed along the roadway, near their home.
According to the couple, this activity has been wreaking havoc on their lives over the past months and they have been constantly complaining in the media.
They are questioning the apparent lack of concern by the Environmental Protection Agency which they said has turned a blind eye to the road-construction company processing materials that spread large amounts of dust in the atmosphere near where people exist and live.
The dos Ramoses had to paint their house in brown to suit the colour of the dust that usually comes out from the chimney at the construction company on a daily basis. They hardly spend any time at home and would normally have to wait the entire day out in New Amsterdam or at their local church in the town, since it is very hard to be at home and endure the dust and noise coming from the site.
The entire roadway also vibrates heavily whenever the contractor’s heavy- duty vehicles ply the routes, further damaging the roadway.
They believe that if there is a better East Bank Berbice road, the dust would not affect them so much and the vibration they feel, as if their home would crumble at any moment, might stop since a new road would be more durable and strong.
This newspaper has made several attempts to contact the contractor in question and the EPA to ascertain what is really going on.
The dos Ramoses, in the hot sun on Saturday, stood on the road, just in front of their home with placards, in a bid to send a strong message to the President as his motorcade passed.
“Tired of Nauth’s dust nuisance” was one of the messages, while “Mr. President, Please fix our road properly”, said another placard.
The husband and wife team, in a very emotionally-driven plea, stood on the road, until Ramotar passed their way. When he finally did, his motorcade stopped.
The Guyanese leader wound his windows down and spoke to the couple.
He told them that he understood their situation and that the road will be rehabilitated very soon.
He said nothing however about the contracting company’s nuisance that the dos Ramoses are facing and continued on his journey.
At Highbury, where hundreds had gathered for Arrival Day celebrations on Saturday, Ramotar did remark that, “I know from experience and I know from our own constituents who complain to me– and I know today by coming in to this village here– that your road is not in a good state.”
This was followed by a huge applause from the crowd.
Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, Leader of the Alliance For Change, who was also in the audience and whose party had stood in solidarity with taxi drivers and residents when they had shut the entire road down a few months ago, smiled.
“And I promise you, it’s in our budget and fortunately that part of the budget was not cut,” Ramotar said to more applauses and cheers.
“We will start the road on the East Bank of Berbice…” and the crowd started to shout “Up to Mara! Up to Mara!” But Ramotar could not have appeased the crowd by promising that the new road will stop at the very end to Mara.
“We are trying to go all the way to Mara, but I don’t think we can finish that this year, but a start will be made to ensure that you have a proper road to commute, to produce and to develop within your county here.”
The Ministry of Works will begin executing works on the famously-always-in-the-news-roadway shortly, while Kaieteur News was informed that H. Nauth may be moving out of the area soon, a move that the dos Ramoses and other residents welcome deeply.