Massive dust nuisance – cleanup too slow?

The asphalted Flemming Street is among several in Road Town that are covered with dust and dirt

Local health authorities have been silent about it, but there is a massive dust nuisance all over Road Town that has left a number of pedestrians coughing and covering their noses – sometimes with dust masks.

People are scared to give their names and to have their photos taken, but they openly expressed disgust with the relatively slow pace at which the territory’s capital is being cleansed, a full week after a tropical wave dumped silt and murky water into businesses and virtually all streets and walkways.

“They telling us to come out and help, but how can we help remove dust in any real sense? Carry buckets of water to dump on it?,” a woman said shortly after a speeding car whipped up a sheet of dust, forcing her to cover her face and rush to a less dusty area.

“The rain fall on Monday [last week] and they just washing a little section of the main part of the town (Waterfront Drive) five or six days after. What we paying taxes for? They should have trucks all over the place wetting and washing down,” added another woman who – like other interviewees – requested anonymity.

A private water truck, along with two from the fire services, has managed to power-wash a section of the town. But residents say the work is not being done fast enough

At the time the interviews were being conducted, a few pieces of heavy duty equipment – especially trucks – were being used to remove mud from some streets.

The mud was then deposited at the empty lot behind Central Administration Building.

Virtually all streets were filled with mud or dry dirt on the weekend, and would have required power washing to get the job done anytime soon.

Persons using a private water truck, along with two from the fire service, have managed to power wash the main stretch of roadway between the round-about and the traffic light closest to Crafts Alive Village.

But most other roadways and alleys – especially from the town centre, through the Long Bush area, up to the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex – are still filled with dirt and dust.

DeCastro Street, as well as Fishlock Road where the fire station is located, is no less dirty and dusty.

“People with sinus, people coughing, everywhere dusty. I think the health people should tell the public what really going – otherwise they should wet up the place,” said a man who gave his alias as Mervin. He added that, although the dust nuisance could be better handled, it is not hard to understand that cleanup of the territory’s capital will take some time.

Dirt removed from the street is being dumped behind the Central Administration Complex

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