Diamond Housing Scheme needs much more attention

May 31, 2010 News

Residents of Diamond Housing Scheme are dissatisfied with the service they are getting.
According to members of the Interim Management Committee of Section ‘A’ Diamond, the promised playfield for the community is the first sore point.
Neil Hopkinson, Head of the IMC explained to Kaieteur News that there were at least six locations earmarked for the playground.

There is no where for the water to go at Fifth Avenue, Diamond.

To date, five of them have been consolidated into house lots. The sixth location has been earmarked for a commercial business enterprise.
Hopkinson explained that after the areas were identified, the subject Minister subsequently held a meeting to which only selected persons were invited, and informed them of the decision.
The other sore points are interconnected roads and drainage.
In Fifth Avenue, the deplorable conditions reflect similar conditions in other streets around the community.
Potholes, some 18 inches to two feet deep, sometimes span the entire width of the road. Some neighbours with good intentions would attempt to drain the water off the road, but it is impossible, says Hopkinson, because the drainage system in itself is poor. “The water is going no place because it has no where to go,” he stated. “The water in the drains is sometimes higher than the level of the road.”
Explaining that the middle-income area cost $1.2M per house lot, the IMC Head said promises were made when persons first started to move into Diamond in 2001. “Good roads, proper drainage, a playfield. So far we haven’t got proper drainage; every time the rain fall, the place flood.”
For those who can afford to, residents are digging their own drainage, but there is still no way for the water to escape. And it is getting worse. Because the roads are not properly built, transporting materials for ongoing construction works continues to wreak havoc.
The potholed roads pose major challenges for those who have their own vehicles, and for taxi drivers who charge residents extra for taking them into a badly damaged street, especially if it is raining.
Another issue is the police presence in the community. The IMC members state that while it is there, it is not effective. It is the view of some that the police sometimes protect their friends. Those who feel this way allege that when residents themselves investigate incidents and give the information to the police, it is not acted upon.
It was also pointed out that for such a large housing development, the entire Diamond Housing Scheme does not have any fire hydrants. It is felt that an outpost should be set up to serve the community and that another access road should be built.
It was explained that should anything minor happen on the East Bank Public road, such as the current bridge works at Prospect, there is a large build up of traffic at the entrance to the Diamond Community, especially during peak hours.