Imagine you're a storeowner and a customer walks in. You give them a warm smile but, instead of getting one in return you're met with a grimace. It's not because they did not like your items, it's because there is a foul-odour permeating the air inside the store. To make matters worse, the odour is followed by sewage water gushing through the cracks of the floor tiles.
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Well, that's what workers at the Mustafa Trading Clothing Store on West Parade were faced with last Monday.
Nickiesha Hanson, an employee at Mustafa Trading said that the situation has become a constant. She said most times when the drain is being cleaned, the sewage comes up inside the store.
The pressure go in the line and then the last time… it go in the line and buss up di tile dem in here... so weh it do is force in the line and force out cause if you can look at the front yuh si couple holes that it force thru and come up and di tile dem inside come up, break up, everything.
Nikiesha Hanson, Downtown Store Employee
The building, she explained has a manhole underneath.
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Cracks in store tiles above where the manhole runs.
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Damage inside a shop caused by overflowing sewer
Apart from the physical damage caused to the building and the effect this situation has on sales, employees at the store have reportedly suffered from some health related issues.
most of the workers dem sick, vomit, belly ache… Mi have asthma, so it gi me. Yuh know dat bad impact and di smell. It smell really bad especially the one that happen yesterday and the one before.
Hanson
Hanson wasn’t the only one calling for the situation to be rectified though. Some vendors who sell along the busy West Parade street were also calling for the quick repair of the drain and sewage system that has been affecting them. They said that water from the drain has been running for over two weeks and has gotten worse since it was dug up.
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Blocked up drain
yesideh now di man dem come dig up di place dem, everyting run back inna di store, flood out the store, a hol’ heap a work di store man haffi do.
Rat, Downtown Vendor
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Incomplete roadside work started by the NWC
Rat, who has been a vendor Downtown for a long time said he is wondering why they still haven’t done something about the drainage system Downtown.
Well a full time now town fi clean up wid di shit water business enuh, Rat said.
Rat
Another vendor who identified herself as 'Black Gal' said that the odour from from the sewage is unbearable.
During the day like how the breeze blow now. It will affect us. You will smell it a lot and it smell so bad. Dun to last night one of dem burst and jus pure wata on the road
Black Gal, Downtown Vendor
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Sewage Water running from unto the road from inside shop
When contacted, the Supervisor of the Sewage Connections and Operations at the National Water Commission, Melanie McCalla said while the line has been repaired there are a number of factors slowing down the repair of the manhole. She said that the manhole needs additional work- a cover needs to be done for it and there are additional sections to be repaired.
She also says that progress has been slowed down as the vehicle that would transport the workmen to the venue needs to be serviced and the current weather condition is posing a challenge. However, she says that despite the setback, work is expected to continue this weekend.
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