SHELTERING from the heavy downpour, 73-year-old, Jaswah Ramlall stands proudly on the newly constructed Double Bitumen Surface Treatment (DBST) road at No.64 Village, Berbice, Region 6. Through all the previous rainy seasons known to her, standing on Third Street, was an unwelcome scenario.

Prior to construction, Third Street, a mud dam, was slushy and had puddles during the wet weather. Even with favourable weather conditions, drivers opted not to traverse the dam. This made life difficult for residents, particularly the elderly like Ramlall, children, and the lone shopkeeper in the street.
Last June, the Ministry of Housing and Water through the Community Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP), inked a $74M contract with K.P Jagdeo General Contractor to upgrade the roads in No.64 Village.
This was the first time any works would be executed on the mud dam. While the other roads were upgraded from either crusher run to DBST surface or DBST to asphaltic concrete, Third Street was constructed with a DBST surface.
The project’s aims of providing residents with better access to places of worship, health, educational and other socio-economic facilities, and opening up of opportunities for the private sector are already being realised.
Another resident, Sookdai Bhola, is elated with the construction of the road. “Whenever it rain dem children have to roll up dem uniform, hold dem shoes and socks in dem hand and walk out in the mud…when dem reach road den dem a wash dem foot and put on their footwear to go to school,” she said.
“Vehicles never used to come in here…when you have a sick you have to fetch that person till you reach the good road…I’m really happy we get dis road…Is since I born and grow here now we get a road,” Bhola added.
According to a shopkeeper, residents of Third Street were somewhat separated from the rest of the community. Vans transporting goods to supply small businesses were reluctant to traverse the mud dam.
“When dem van come my husband does have to tek the bicycle and ride go buy goods…sometimes he have to make six trips just to stock up the shop…Now with the road dem van a come till to de shop,” the shopkeeper exulted.
Amidst their excitement, residents are faced with the task of protecting the structure from heavy-duty agricultural machinery. Farming is a major economic activity in their community and prohibiting agricultural machinery from entering the community would put many residents at a disadvantage. To protect the new road the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and residents have placed road barriers, effectively preventing tractors with caged wheels from using the road.
“We neva had road now we get road we have to care it…We can’t let dem use dem machine and destroy our road…It have other place dem can drive to come in…here is a residential area…Dem can park dem machine out of the community,” the shopkeeper stressed.
According to No.52/74 NDC Chairman, Reshram Moti, the NDC is satisfied with the standard of work done by the contractor and the level of oversight/ monitoring provided by the Project Management Unit of CRIP. Maintaining the integrity of the structure is a priority of the NDC and residents. He noted that the NDC is thankful to the Government for upgrading the structures, since the NDC does not have the financial and technical capabilities to undertake such tasks.

(Ministry of Housing)