North-west Clarendon residents demand better roads and water
TOP ALSTON, Clarendon — Placard-bearing residents in Top Alston, Clarendon, near the north-east Manchester/ north-west Clarendon border, have vowed to continue protests over deplorable road conditions and the lack of potable water.
Scores of commuters including schoolchildren were left stranded on Monday morning as the residents downed trees and used debris to block the Silent Hill to Moravia and Top Alston main road at major sections.
The residents claim their Member of Parliament Phillip Henriques (Clarendon North Western) has “deserted” his constituents.
Efforts to get a response from Henriques, who is a member of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, were unsuccessful.
The residents are demanding that their plight be addressed.
“We are out here today [Monday] because we need [better] roads, water and street lights. We are between two pump houses, one has been there for over 100 years and [another] for 15 years and we have still not received any water,” a woman, who asked not to be named, said.
She added that the roads are in dire need of repair.
“We nuh call dem deh road nuh more, we call dem donkey track. We need road and we need water. We are planning on being out here for the whole week until we hear some justice, because we can’t continue like this, we are not the forgotten part of Jamaica,” she said.
Another resident claimed water is being pumped from the Top Alston area to at least two towns.
“Over 15 years we don’t have any water, we live in between two pump houses. The water is sent out of this community into other places like Christiana and Spalding and we who are living here don’t have any water,” she said.
“The roads are in a bad condition and our taxis are constantly complaining about it. Tires are being chopped [punctured]. We haven’t seen our MP. I have had to abandon my car because the front end lick out [damaged] completely,” she added.