Otto Carrington
Senior Reporter
otto.carrington@guardian.co.tt
Clean-up operations along Charlotte Street in Port-of-Spain have been completed following a sewage leak that disrupted business activity in the capital’s main commercial district yesterday.
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) responded to the incident, which occurred between Prince and Queen Streets, where overflowing wastewater had spread through the busy shopping area, producing a strong odour that affected vendors and shoppers.
The leak, which vendors said had previously occurred in recent weeks, forced some traders to remove goods from their stalls and temporarily affected customer traffic during peak trading hours yesterday.
One vendor said the situation had been ongoing for hours before crews intervened.
“This has been going on for a couple of hours now. About two weeks ago, we experienced the same thing where the sewer overflowed and water was running through the area,” the vendor said. “It stopped after the rain, but this morning it started again.”
The vendor said WASA officials visited the site after reports were made.
“They told us not to go into the water, which of course we wouldn’t do, but this is where we conduct business every week. This is not healthy and it is affecting our livelihood,” the vendor said.
Another vendor was not pleased with the disruption to sales during what she said was normally a busy day for business.
“I called WASA and the trucks arrived, so right now we were just waiting on them to do the job. It’s killing the whole atmosphere on the street,” the vendor said. “Normally on a Saturday, especially with nice weather, business would be active.”
Vendors said some traders packed up early as the stench affected customer turnout, describing the conditions as “unbearable” at its peak.
WASA completed works in the area well before 4 pm, restoring access to the affected section of Charlotte Street.
