Leaking sewers, overflowing garbage plague Las Alturas

2026-01-26 - 00:02

Senior Reporter derek.achong@guardian.co.tt Residents of the Las Alturas Housing Development in Morvant are claiming that their community is being neglected. Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday morning, residents of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) community highlighted a leaking sewer, uncut grass, broken streetlights, and overflowing garbage bins. An elderly resident, who asked to remain unnamed, said the leaking sewer is the most pressing concern. “It has been running from the top of the hill down here for a while. It smells a lot. You can’t really sit in your gallery,” she said. Another resident, living in a building above the leak, echoed her concern, noting the impact on those below. “If it is bad for us, imagine for the people below where the sewage is pooling,” she said. Ironically, while a Guardian Media team toured the community, a group of HDC staff were seen addressing the leak near a small garbage receptacle between two buildings. Although they declined to speak on the record, the workers explained that the leak was caused by a manhole near the receptacle being clogged with rubbish that fell out when the bin was overfilled. “We cleaned out the manhole, so residents should get some relief now,” one worker said. He cautioned, however, that the problem could recur. “Until HDC decides to relocate the manhole, it will get clogged again and we will have to come back,” he added. Residents also claimed that a large garbage skip at the community entrance has not been emptied since after Christmas. Guardian Media observed the skip overflowing with garbage bags, with residents placing new waste beside it. “They are supposed to come every week. HDC does not maintain Las Alturas. People pay their rent and mortgages, but they don’t maintain it at all. It’s like they abandoned us,” a resident said while shopping near the skip. Broken streetlights were another concern. Residents said lights have not been repaired or maintained for years, leaving dark spots that pose safety risks. “There are a lot of children in the community. Proper lighting would help with safety,” one resident said. She also pointed out abandoned, overgrown buildings, earmarked for demolition due to structural issues and the subject of a Commission of Enquiry, that still remain in the community. “It’s just an eyesore at this stage,” she said. Grass in landscaped areas, previously maintained by Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) workers, has also gone uncut since the programme ended. “I have made several calls to HDC and the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation to address these issues, but so far only the sewer has been fixed,” she added. Guardian Media attempted to contact HDC chairman Feroze Khan for comment on the concerns raised by residents, but he did not respond to a WhatsApp message.