Canal raises stench, tempers in Chapman Lane, prompting probe

A stench and a buildup of stagnant water in a inner-city canal has prompted the Ministry of Health to investigate a potential environmental health hazard.

Chapman Lane residents have been venting their frustrations about a stench emanating from the Murphy’s Pasture canal.

The situation was news to the Ministry of Health. But Chief Environmental Health Officer Francina Bascombe told Barbados TODAY
that the ministry willnow investigate the situation although it was not aware of any complaints.

For months, the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) has been widening the canal in a bid to improve poor drainage in the low-lying district which has been flood-prone for years.

Now the residents say that that project drags, heaps of marl blocking the watercourse have only made things worse.

The problem was further magnified when a burst main at 6th Avenue New Orleans on Tuesday almost caused the canal to overflow.

Barbados TODAY found a pungent odor and a heavy buildup of moss and fungus choking the canal. Residents were also seen walking from one side of the community to the other on the canal over thin wooden planks.

Numerous efforts to reach Minister of Transport and Works Ian Gooding-Edgehill for an update on the project were unsuccessful.

But Chief Environmental Health Officer Bascombe said officials from her team would investigate, after learning of the issue from Barbados TODAY.

“[Residents] have not reported the matter to the Environmental Health Department,”Bascombe told Barbados TODAY. “However, having become aware of it, the complaint will be investigated by our team at the Brandford Taitt Polyclinic.”

Melissa Mason, whose social media rant went viral earlier this week, revealed that her house is at the edge of the canal. She told Barbados TODAY that the situation has forced her to seek medical attention in recent weeks for breathing problems.

“We just want them to hurry up and get it done, because this morning, Murphy’s Pasture was almost filled with water. If rain had fallen Chapman Lane would have been flooded,” Mason declared.

“The hurricane season is coming and it will not get better if something isn’t done about it. There are mosquitoes and I have literally seen millions of dragon flies come off of that. You see the mosquitoes when they come out at night.

“The dust has germs, the odour is ridiculous and I have to live with that every night. There are others in the community and it is not good for them or their children and we’re hoping something is done soon.”

Another resident said officials from the MTW drainage unit come to the area every day to pump water from the canal.

But as the water is pumped just west of the canal, it creates similar problems for another set of residents.

“This area got barred off about two weeks ago to stop the canal so they could do their work. They blocked off the water and it was settling in front of our house and we had to be sweeping down the water multiple times a day to stop it from coming on our step.

“So I just don’t know what they are doing. They need to just come and get something done out here, because they don’t live out here. We live out here and we have to deal with this. So they need to come and see what is really going on. It is nonsense,” the frustrated residents complained.

According to reports, the relatively small project started around October last year. (kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)