Almost a year after mounds of dirt were excavated from the bottom of San Fernando Hill and stockpiled in a vacant lot near the Marabella Police Station, it continues to be a health hazard and eyesore.
San Fernando Mayor Kazim Hosein has expressed frustration, saying he continues to get complaints from the residents and business community about the unsightly pile, but his inquiries about its removal were being ignored.
“It (stockpile) was supposed to have been removed months ago. The material was supposed to be moved to Williamsville, but nobody is paying me any attention when I ask about it. I am fed up of asking questions,” the mayor said.
The material was reportedly removed from excavation done on the compound of Stackhouse Co Ltd, on Pointe-a-Pierre Road, San Fernando, for the construction of a car-park.
The City Corporation had stopped the excavation as investigations were conducted to determine whether a part of the historic landmark, a heritage site which borders Stackhouse compound, was being excavated. Stackhouse was later cleared of any wrongdoing and arrangements were made to remove the stockpile to Williamsville.
However, up until yesterday, when the T&T Guardian visited the site, the stockpile, though now overgrown with bushes, is still very much there.
Hosein, when contacted, said he was still receiving complaints about the stockpile, but he was fed up of begging for answers and getting none.
Stackhouse response
The T&T Guardian was advised by Stackhouse owner, Truman Lochan Dass, to direct all queries to his lawyer. However, when asked who was his lawyer, Lochan Dass hung up the telephone.
The T&T Guardian also spoke to councillor and attorney Kevin Ratiram who was a member of a committee set up last year to investigate whether the San Fernando Hill was being illegally mined as a result of work on the Stackhouse compound.
Ratiram said the corporate secretary had written to the Planning Ministry asking them to take some action on those responsible for the stockpile but to date they have received no response.
“Nothing has been done in respect to that and even though the letter was written months ago, no response has been forthcoming,” said Ratiram.
He declined to speculate on the identity of the owner of the stockpile, but said: “A document was granted to a particular individual for excavation work and one condition of the work was that the material was to be stored in Williamsville.”
He described the stockpile as an ongoing insult to the city.
“I can’t say who is the owner but I am very disappointed at the person responsible for this, I thought they would have removed it by now. It shows disdain and contempt for the city. It is an insult.” Ratiram said the only thing the city was able to do at this point was to issue a notice to the owner of the land in Marabella to cut and clear the overgrown bushes.
Harbouring rodents
Several business owners who operate around the Marabella based stockpile said it was an eyesore in the community.
Vashti Joshua, one of the owners of Rajkumar’s Roti Shop, located opposite the stockpile, said the grass growing on the pile has solved the problem of excessive dust flying.
“Since the grass get so big, there is not much dust and sand flying, but it is still an eyesore,” she said. “I strongly think it should be removed from here. At one time we used to be able to see straight across the road, the place was so clean and clear, now look at it.”
An employee of a safety company nearby agreed, adding: “Apart from being an eyesore it does not affect us much anymore.”
One businessman, who asked to remain anonymous, said the overgrown piles of dirt are harbouring rodents and vermin.
“Since the grass grew up like that, there has been an increase in rats and other pests in the area. They are obviously coming from those overgrown mountains,” he said.