By Ravin Singh

RESIDENTS of the farming island of Wakenaam are bemoaning the deplorable state of roads on the island and the poor ferry service which they say continue to hinder development. Gordon Corlette, who resides at Maria Johanna, explained that there are virtually no roads in the area, instead, there is a trail which becomes almost impassable during the rainy season.
“I wouldn’t say that it is a road, because even during the dry season it’s in a terrible state. It’s more like a track or a trail,” he said.

Corlette, who is a driver, said that the “trail” has been in that state for over 25 years and it has posed difficulties for persons living in Maria Johanna and neighbouring villages. He referenced the fact that during the rainy season, it takes more than 30 minutes to travel from Arthurville to Maria’s Pleasure – a journey which usually takes about five minutes.
“We have medics, teachers, students and farmers who have to travel every day and it is extremely challenging for them to have to use those roads.”
Corlette was not the lone voice in this call though. Nadir Mustakeen, who is a large-scale coconut dealer on the island, explained how difficult it was to do business because of poor infrastructure. He noted that it was not just one or two villages which are affected by poor roads, but the entire island.
“Poor roads on the island contribute significantly to the reduction in production [of coconuts]. Farmers do not have the motivation to continue working in a place like this because of how difficult it is due to poor infrastructure. It is hard having to travel on roads like these on a daily basis,” Mustakeen said.
Wakenaam’s coconut production has dropped from 120,000 nuts per week to just over 40,000 per week in the last 10 to 15 years. Equally disturbing to farmers is the “reliable” ferry service which has also contributed to the overall reduction in agricultural produce.
Boyo, a small-scale farmer explained that there is no fixed schedule for the ferry and more often than not, farmers lose out by not getting their produce off the island on time.
“We lose out a lot. Sometimes we have to wait on the ferry because we don’t know when it will arrive, or when it is here, we don’t know when it will leave. So we have to wait on that, and by the time we get to Parika to sell our produce, other farmers are already there or there is no market,” he lamented.
This, he explained, has also resulted in reduced employment opportunities which has contributed to a steady decline in the island’s population. Wakenaam’s population has dipped from over 20,000 twenty years ago, to just over 3,000 presently.
With these issues affecting development of the 17.5 square-mile island, farmers are calling on the authorities to assist them in helping to develop Wakenaam.
They also committed to ensuring that once the much-needed infrastructure is put in place, they will be maintained, as it will ultimately lead to development of the island.