BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com Thursday, December 17, 2015
People
who live in Chesterfield say they hope and pray each day that no one from the farming community becomes so ill as to need emergency assistance.
“Living in this area is like living in a death trap,” Balford Pechoo told the “The situation so bad, that to fall sick in this area could literally mean a death sentence,” added Carlene Thomas, who said she has been living for 15 years in the community in Castleton, St Mary.
The source of their worry is the absence of a bridge.
To get from their community to the Junction main road, the residents are forced to wade through the Wag Water River.
That, though, is fraught with danger. According to the residents, over the past eight years at least five people have lost their lives, and countless others have been injured trying to cross the river.
“The last man that died was a 50-year-old farmer who was washed away as he attempted to leave the area,” Pechoo, the spokesman for a small group gathered in the area, told the
Observer last Friday.
Zepheniah Byfield shared another heartbreaking story.
“It was less than a year ago a woman took down to have baby and couldn’t make it out and ended up having baby under a tree next to the river,” said Byfield.
Added to the danger is the humiliation the residents face when crossing the river.
“It has become so embarrassing to see children, people — young and old of various professions — when they are going to school or church, or work, when dem reach the river they have to strip down to their underwear, some naked, in order to swim across the river,” said Byfield.
Last Friday, this reporter witnessed adults taking off their clothes in order to cross the river. Upon reaching the other side, they dried themselves, then put their clothes back on.
Other adults were seen carrying schoolchildren on their backs across the water, while some children risked crossing on a makeshift walkway that comprised sandbags.
Heavy rains, the residents added, pose more than danger to life, as the rise in the water level prevents people from going to work.
“Many persons have lost their jobs because of this problem,” said Lenford ‘Judge’ Davis.
He believes the only solution to the problem is for the authorities to erect a Bailey Bridge across the river.
“For more than 15 years now we have been lobbying the authorities to erect this bridge, but to date we are yet to see something happening,” said Davis.
Pechoo corroborated Davis’ claim. “It is as if we are the forgotten group; is like them put us back a hog seed,” he said.
Another resident, Leonard Hunt, interjected: “In 2015, is really sad to see people living like that.”
Last week, the residents said because of the lack of access to the area, farmers were not able to deliver crops to market, resulting in millions of dollars in produce going to waste.more
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