Residents of Bush Lot Railway Embankment, West Coast Berbice say their main access dam at First Street is almost impassable and that their vehicles have been marooned since the rainy season started in December.

Alim Khan (left) and a youth standing in the “pond” on the dam as other residents look on.

The residents said the street has several potholes and a huge “pond” in one section, making it impossible for vehicles to traverse.

Alim Khan told Stabroek News that this is posing an inconvenience for him as he cannot get to use his car. He said his elderly mother is sick and when she has to visit the doctor he has to lift her out of the deplorable street and hire a taxi to pick them up at a certain point.

Housewives said when they are going out they have to go barefoot or with a long boots if they happen to have one. They then have to wash their feet at the homes of other residents and then put on their footwear before continuing their journey.

They said that the area does not have any shops and as such they have to “plough through” the slushy street with their heavy grocery bags. They said too that the area has 16 children attending school and that since school reopened on Monday most of them were finding it difficult to attend.

Another resident, Heeralall (only name), said that his relatives came from overseas and could not access the dam. He said a vehicle brought them up to the “pond” and they had to trek through with suitcases in hand.

It was observed that only a section of the street is paved while the part where the residents live is a mud dam.

The residents said they visited the Neighbourhood Democratic Council office at Bush Lot and were told that the dam would be fixed after the budget is passed.