-residents say as construction of $150M Moleson Creek to El Dorado road begins

WHILE heaping high praises on the government, Berbice residents say they are looking forward to the end of years of suffering and transportation woes when the GY$150 million access road from Moleson Creek to El Dorado is completed.

Shaffeeullah Sawmills of Crabwood Creek was awarded the contract to construct 2,500 meters of road from the bridge at the Moleson Creek Ferry Junction to El Dorado and began work a week ago much to the delight of residents.

Wendy Degoeus 40, a cash crop farmer, told the Guyana Chronicle that when the road is completed, she will replace her bicycle with a better mode of transportation.

While taking a break from pushing her bicycle laden with groceries along the muddy dam, the woman recalled how the deplorable state of the road has made life hard for her and other residents.

“I have been living here all my life and we were punishing. I am thankful to the government and everyone else that they are making this road for us. We really punish for years. When it rain, we have to lift out them children to take them to school and ready them in the bus shed because if they dress and walk out them skin dirty. Sometimes we all fall down and you have to bathe them at the stand pipe and then ready them in the bus shed. Nothing can come in the dam. I have to leave this bicycle at the first house and walk the rest with my load barefoot,” she said.

Degoeus, a mother of five, related that when the road is completed, she plans to purchase a motorcycle and eventually a car which could be used to transport her family at a reasonable cost.

“We already have water. Soon we will get light and with the road, we will finally not have to punish anymore. As soon as it done build, I will buy a motorbike and then a car cause to come in here is $1000 per person and you still have to walk out the dam to the bridge cause them can’t come in,” she told this publication.

She highlighted that the thought of owning a vehicle was a merely a dream, but with the road underway she sees that dream becoming a reality.

Suresh Persaud called “Sunil,” a 48-year-old cash crop farmer said he has been living at Moleson Creek for over 38 years and he could recall the struggles he and residents have endured and the losses they have suffered as a result of the deplorable state of the road.

He related that almost annually he has suffered approximately $1M in losses due to the state of the dam during the rainy season.

“Every May/June I loss over $1M in crops. The dam is so bad [that] tractors with cage wheels get stuck so we have to open the kokers and carry our produce by boat to the town which is dangerous. About two years ago my seven-year-old son almost drowned after the boat capsized in the Corentyne River. I had to throw my son on the bundaree [bushes with thorns] until a next boat passed and pick him up,” he told this publication.

Persaud recalled his days working on the main access road from Crabwood Creek to the Guyana/Suriname Stelling many years ago. He said that since then he has longed for a proper road to be built to access his home and other parts of the community.

He noted that numerous promises were made over the years and now that he is seeing workers on the ground excavating and building the road, he is delighted. The excited resident told this publication that he spends whatever free time he has observing the works and is pleased with what he has seen thus far.

“ I am very thankful to everyone who finally listen to our cries. I’ve been through this struggle for over 38 years but I can say my children won’t have to face it. The future for them will be better. There was a school that had to close due to the deplorable state of the road and low population of students. My wife is a vendor and she has to use this road to bring out produce too and it’s been so hard,” he said adding that they were forced to sell their car because of the state of the road.

“Now with the road I can buy another vehicle and access my home. From my experience the contractor is doing a good job. They seem very thorough especially with the levels of excavation and compaction of the materials so if they continue this way it will last long,” he said.

EASIER ACCESS
Another resident and cash crop farmer, 54-year-old Royanand Persaud, said he was born and raised in Moleson Creek and cannot recall ever seeing the road in a proper state.

He noted that with the construction of the road, he sees their lives being transformed and becoming better and comfortable.

According to him, when a resident was sick, persons would have to lift them out of the area since the road is impassible.

He told this publication that he would lose a sizeable portion of cassava, potato, pumpkin and oranges plants during the May/June rainy season.

“I am looking forward to save on all that. I’m looking forward to much easier access and an end to our suffering.”

Meanwhile, Junior Directors of Shaffeeullah Sawmill, Iqraan and Iliyaas Shaffeeullah, who are both aware of the plight of the residents, expressed gratitude at being able to execute a project in their community.

They said they are glad that they can assist in making the lives of the residents better. The brothers told the Guyana Chronicle that 98 per cent of the staff working on the job are from the Moleson/Crabwood Creek area.

They explained that works entail excavation of the existing dam to remove the slush and mud to a depth of 0.9 metres or three feet and placement of a geo-textile fabric for reinforcement then infilling with white sand and laterite/white sand mix and finished with crusher run. The contract is a six-month project but the brothers are hoping they can capitalise on the sunny days and put in extra hours to finish ahead of schedule.

“The biggest challenge we have right now is the weather and it’s something only God can fix. There is a mosque a little distance in the road that had to be abandoned because of the state of the road. Even in dry season only off road vehicles can traverse and whenever it rains it’s only tractors and even, they have a hard time. That being said, we are looking to put in extra hours when the weather permits so that we can try to finish ahead of schedule.” Iqraan stated.

“Additionally, there are two structures that have to be built that will aid in drainage and irrigation for the residents in the flood-prone community. These were not part of the initial scope of works but there were existing tubings that were damaged and flow beneath where the road is being constructed so we were asked to construct the culverts,” he added.

The Moleson to Eldorado road is along the path of the proposed Guyana/Suriname bridge and is expected to be upgraded in the future to asphaltic concrete when the bridge is constructed. The long term plan, according to Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, is to have the road up to the Amerindian community of Orealla so that access to natural resources and the community can be easier.