News

Smoke causes exodus - Residents flee Riverton City

BY KAVELLE CHRISTIE, Staff Reporter

Work men putting out a fire at the Riverton City dump yesterday. - Norman Grindley

THE SMOKE FROM the Riverton City dump has started a mini exodus in the Riverton Meadows community. The residents say as a result of the smoke, their health and their children's have been severely affected, consequently they have been forced to leave.

The community, which is located next to the dump, say they have been in agony for years, and the relevant authorities have not done anything to alleviate their problems.

One resident said it was not the first time the fire was disrupting the lives of those in the community, "Is not just now - We ah bawl from long time, even when it did worse than this. The dump need to cover up to stop the fire. It need to cover right over with dirt. Nobody not doing anything, and now them acting like is the first time that the smoke come down on us like this and make us sick, because the other community dem start mek noise. Dem just don't business with the poor people."

Health problem

The smoke which is not only a nuisance, but also a health hazard for the children living in the community, has caused his family, "six nieces and nephews fi get sick, and all of them asthma start bother them now because of the smoke."

"Right now the children can be here in the days, but in the nights they can't stay around here because there is too much smoke," he said.

He said a doctor who had visited the area told them that it would be best if they left, "Him say it might not affect us now, but later we going to start seeing the effects."

"It is mostly the children who are affected by the smoke, because them asthma and sinus start act up," he continued.

"Right now one of my friend's little daughter have how much pill and pump that she have to be on because of the smoke."

He said he had been living in the area since 1972, and the reason why most had not bothered to leave the community before, is because they have nowhere else to go. "We stay here for survival. This is how we support our families. Most of the men around here ah some little man who work around the dump. Some of them drive the tractors, and direct the truck and things like that. Is just so we have to survive."

Another man who pointed to his red eyes as proof of the smoke's effect on him, said, "Every second I have to be washing my eyes, because they don't stop run water because of the smoke."

"Every morning I wake up, it comin' like ah fog me wake up innah, because me can't see anything," he continued.

The authorities theorise that the fire which was lit over a week ago, was started by arsonists.

Another resident said, "Is not anybody from 'round here light the fire, cause we know how it feel when the smoke start up. We know how sick it make the children so we don't light it up to cause this."