By Telesha Ramnarine
HELP is on the way for residents of Mocha/Mocha Arcadia/Barnwell on the East Bank Demerara, who have been subjected for many years to harsh living conditions, especially with respect to deplorable roads and a lack of electricity.During a visit to the communities recently, topping the list of concerns for the residents was the sizeable potholes that make life difficult for them, especially when it rains. Mini-bus owners and taxi drivers face the worst of this, but have no choice than to continue working on these roads so as to make ends meet.

“I feel it for people vehicle. Yuh stomach does hut (hurt) yuh inside,” one man, who is not the owner of a vehicle, expressed to this newspaper.

The main bridges in the communities are also in a deplorable state and residents often try to fix them on their own. However, the bridges have reached a point where the efforts of the residents just cannot suffice.

“When we’re sleeping at night, we can hear when each vehicle is passing over the bridge,” one woman said, referring to the loose boards on the bridge. Other bridges have huge holes in them.

An elderly woman, who lives in the village for about 57 years, complained of poor drainage and noted that flooding occurs as soon as there is a little rain.

“The drains need doing. Water stagnant. Long booths nah mek it.”

On the issue of electricity, one resident of Barnwell said they have received no word as to when they would get light in the village.

Some roads were done last year and villagers have access to water in their homes, but the place is in utter darkness except for those who may have generators.

Lack of electricity is a worrying concern as some children take extra lessons after school and are made to face the dark.

“There are lots of young people in the midst. Night time is black,” one young mother said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, met with representatives from several ministries and Government agencies on Saturday to discuss a multi-stakeholder approach towards the completion of a developmental plan for the Mocha Arcadia Community.

A statement on the website of the Ministry of the Presidency informed that Dr Richard Van West Charles, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI); Frederick Flatts, CEO of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) – Ministry of Agriculture; Leon Castello, Personal Assistant to Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Ms. Annette Ferguson; and Victor Wilson, Mocha resident and Adviser to the community, attended the meeting at the Ministry.

The meeting is a follow-up on issues relayed to the Minister, earlier this month, when he met with some Mocha residents, including the Chairman of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council.

According to the statement, Minister Harmon noted that despite the hardships, Mocha has persevered and the meeting “aims to co-ordinate work in a small community where we can help to make an impact on issues affecting residents”.

“He specifically asked the meeting to identify projects that can be extracted from plans that have already been catered for in their budget to draft a community development plan for Mocha. The minister noted that the community was challenged by land distribution and land use issues, electricity and water woes and dilapidated roads. However, he pointed out that the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission is already addressing the matters related to land the land issues.”

Castello revealed that the Public Infrastructure Ministry recently installed 52 streetlights, which will be activated shortly, while Flatts said the Agriculture Ministry has embarked on a comprehensive drainage and irrigation plan in Mocha since July 2015.

A bulldozer truck and long-boom excavator have been stationed there and, to date, has bulldozed 18 miles of dam and cleared 20 miles of drainage channels.

Flatts also noted that plans are in train to access funds from the CARICOM Development Fund and from the 2016 National budget to augment those

works next year.