Dear Editor,
I would like to highlight a burning issue that is affecting the residents of Cornelia Ida, Sea-View Housing Scheme W.C.D. I have been pleading with our government over 20 years now to give us wider drains and more water outlets to alleviate the effects of the overtopping high tide. Our present government, which was previously in the opposition, promised to do it when they got into power.
Indeed, in 2016, the present government dug a 15-feet drain and planned to further widen it as time went by. They also removed a 4 feet culvert and replaced it with an 18 feet bridge. This was done to allow faster water exit from the overtopping. These new developments handled the last high tide reasonably well.
Just when we thought all was going well, the unthinkable happened. A woman whose house was built on the government reserve next to the drain decided she wanted more land. She “paaled-off “7 feet of the drain (see pic). Editor, not 6 inches or a foot, 7 feet. This lawlessness was aided by workers working on the sea defence upgrade.
Editor, I reported this matter to the Stewartville NDC chairman personally. He didn’t even move a muscle. It was further reported to officials at the RDC. Still, nothing happened. I subsequently spoke to a government sea defence engineer who assured me that an instruction was given to the private company engineer to remove it, nothing happened. Instead, a concrete fence is now being allowed to be erected on this piece of land. This main drain is now severely reduced in capacity. Editor, 28 legal residents of Sea-View, Cornelia Ida who pay rates and taxes will now have to brace themselves once again to endure the devastation of high-tide flooding due to lawlessness to the highest extent . It is a terrible shame that we have to beg the subject minister responsible to intervene and save us. We have enough law to charge and place people before the courts for these unlawful acts. Until those entrusted to uphold the law start losing their jobs for dereliction of duty, these kinds of nonsense will continue to destroy our country. We are eagerly awaiting to see what course of action will be taken to protect the law abiding residents of Sea-View, Cornelia Ida.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
