Stressed out over the dangerous position their home is facing and with no assistance forthcoming from the relevant authorities, three San Francique families are seeking legal redress after water from a nearby WASA line started to gush into their property for the second time this year.
The incident first happened back in April when the water ran through their property for twelve days straight.
As a result, Attorney at Law Prakash Ramadhar stepped in to assist. Speaking with reporters outside of the family’s home at Pluck Road/Santa Cecelia Trace, San Francique, Ramadhar explained that the house was first damaged by a nearby landslip and the most recent leak has only served to further undermine it.
Noting that the viability of the home is of concern, Ramadhar claimed to date, WASA has not taken any responsibility. He said he was also concerned over the fact that officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport are moving in to declare the structure as “ruinous.”
As he made reference to copies of letters between the Works and Transport Ministry, Rural Development and Local Government Ministry and the Siparia Regional Corporation, Ramadhar said the corporation’s engineer assessed the property and determined it was not a ruinous structure.
“Instead of trying to negotiate, instead of trying to ensure that proper compensation be given or some level of repair done, they (the MOWT) attempted something under the guise of law to do something what I consider to be dishonourable.”
In a statement on July 13, the MOWT said at this project site, that it was observed that a building adjacent to the landslip appeared to be in a “structurally dilapidated /ruinous state that may be unfit for use or occupation or dangerous to the inhabitants of the property.”
As such, it said on January 13 and May 25, out of an abundance of caution, it sought the assistance of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government (MRDLG), through the Municipal Corporations Act Chap 25:04, to treat with the dilapidated structure prior to the commencement of any repair works.
Loop News also obtained a copy of the internal memorandum between the Engineering and Surveying Officer, Leariza Jaisrie and the Chief Executive Officer of the Siparia Regional pertaining to the status of the building.
Jaisrie noted that after visiting the residential dwelling at LP #173-175 La Fortune Pluck Road and after a thorough investigation, the structure could not be deemed as ruinous or dilapidated:
“In my capacity as the Engineering and Survey Officer at the Siparia Regional Corporation, I cannot deem the structure of the aforementioned address to be in a ruinous or dilapidated state. The external and internal conditions of this 2-storey residential dwelling cannot be classified as ruinous or so dilapidated as to be unfit for use or occupation or in a state dangerous or prejudicial to the occupier therefore, Sections 176, 177, 178 and 179 do not apply.”
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