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Dreams shattered on the banks of the Hope River
INGRID BROWN, Senior staff reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
An aerial view of houses in Tavern, St Andrew, taken two days after the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav on August 28. (Observer file photos)
This is PART 3 of a series highlighting the plight of people who have built their homes on DANGEROUS GROUNDS - the banks of the island's rivers and gullies - ignoring the associated risks from flood waters, especially when the country is hit by storms. It will also look at why they were allowed to build in these dangerous areas in the first place, and examine what is happening with our major rivers and what must be done to ensure that they are trained.
MARK Johnson never thought twice about building a nine-bedroom, seven-bathroom and four-kitchen house on lands his family has owned in Tavern, St Andrew since he was a child.
The view from the exquisitely-designed balcony overlooking the Hope River and the high hills of Gordon Town is a nature lover's dream.
He ended up spending millions of dollars, over time, on his 'dream house', which had a fish pond in the front yard.
After all, it was the perfect location for an investment he hoped would have given him good returns when he started renting some of the rooms.
But that dream became a nightmare in August following a visit by an unwelcome visitor named 'Gustav'.
The devastation wreaked on Tavern by flood waters from the dreadful tropical storm caused the Hope River to overflow its bank, washing away several houses, while weakening the structures of several others, including Johnson's dream house - which now sits near the bank, and could collapse at anytime.
"It look like is the wrong bank me invest in," a dejected Johnson told the Observer. Johnson now fears that water from the river could begin running through his house the next time it is in spate.
He said that the river, which was like a distant stream, has crept to within inches of his front door as the banks continued to widen from flood rains throughout the years.
Johnson, 38, said the erosion of the river's banks was not something he believed could have happened in the community in which he has lived since birth.
"This is not capture land you know.we pay taxes for here," he said.
Johnson, who said he started construction of the house 20 years ago, said he had invested in it most of the earnings he made while living in the United States.
"Me regret that me ever come back to Jamaica, and if it wasn't that me tie up meself with so much things me would leave again," he said.
He said it is an especially bitter pill to swallow as he not only spent millions to buy building material, but has spent a 'substantial' amount in taxes to Government.
But despite the dangers posed and the destruction by the Hope River, Johnson said relocation is not an option. Instead, he wants the Government to use money from taxes collected by residents of the community to do protective work on the river.
"Relocation is not the answer because if them relocate and nothing get done to the river, then what will happen to the persons living on the land behind when the river reach them?" he questioned.
He said if Government was willing to pay for the Gabon basket, as well as provide half of the labour cost, some of the residents would be willing to do the protective work themselves.
St Aubyn Bartlett, the member of parliament for Eastern St Andrew, was sympathetic to the residents' plight. He said that except for some areas in the neighbouring River View where some people were guilty of building almost in the river bed, the majority of the houses were never close to the river before now.
The MP said that over the years the river changed course more than once, running easterly, while vegetation grew on the western bank. "When the vegetation began to grow there it looked like good land but it was all sandy soil," Bartlett told the Observer.
He added that during heavy rains, over time, the river burst its banks and again changed course - this time in a westerly direction, which resulted in some houses being washed away.
"There are many areas further up Tavern where people were living 60 to 75 feet from the river bank, but over the years the river has changed course and undermine the land."
Citing an example, Bartlett said he assisted a family to build a retaining wall 30 feet from the river bank, however, after the heavy rains from Hurricanes Emily and Dean the wall came crashing down.
"Since those rains a lot of people who were far away are now almost in the river bed," he added.
The river will continue further inland if proper mitigation work is not done, according to Bartlett, who said he has constantly requested of the Government that this be done. "If nothing is done, over time the river may eventually reach Papine," he added.
According to Bartlett, Tavern was primarily sugar cane lands, with the river running through the property, which was in the 1940s declared a no-build zone.
"Over time we have had persons like myself - and by that I mean politicians - who have said this is land that you can live on although it is not for that purpose," he admitted.
He said it was during the 1950s that the lands along Hope Town Road were sold to persons, through the land agency, by the administration of that time.
Other sections were eventually captured and large concrete houses constructed.
"What you find is that one person live there and when their children grow up they build on top of that house and so you find all three-storey dwellings on a soil that cannot hold these structures," Bartlett explained.
He said in these cases no building approval was sought from the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC).
One resident, Mary Hinds, said there are about 30 of her family members living in the same yard. She said when she went there several years ago the river was never seen as a threat. "By the time we realise that it was a threat we already did invest too much," she said.
Unlike Mark Johnson, however, her house was among one of the many washed away by Gustav in August. The 70-year-old Hinds said she does not know where to begin, having lost everything in the deadly tropical storm.
"Me can't work again and my children them have fi them whole heap ah children of their own and so them no have it fi help me," she said.
Having been forced to live for a month in the community centre, she is now staying in a small room with one of her adult daughters.
"Not even toilet we don't have in this yard with all this whole heap ah people because all it get washed away," she said.
Despite this danger throughout the years her children continued to build their own houses in the yard.
Her daughter Ann-Marie Dixon, who has seven children, said she had nowhere else to go when she started having her children and required a roof of her own.
"Me never know say the river woulda been so dangerous and so ah night time we just ah pray say the rain no fall, especially since me have small children," she said.
The children were seen playing in a room which was abandoned after the erosion of the foundation.
Several other houses were seen sitting precariously on the edge of the river along Hope Town Road. All that was left of one two-storey house was its living room and bathrooms. The angry waters of the Hope River took the rest during Gustav's fury.
Hope Town Road residents, who were offered to be relocated to Cane River, were adamant that they would not go to that area, which is itself close to a river. They were fearful that the nightmare could continue when that river becomes a threat.
NEXT:
The situation in Cane River - the area now being considered by the Government to relocate persons from Kintyre, Tavern and Hope Town Road.
INGRID BROWN, Senior staff reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
An aerial view of houses in Tavern, St Andrew, taken two days after the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav on August 28. (Observer file photos)This is PART 3 of a series highlighting the plight of people who have built their homes on DANGEROUS GROUNDS - the banks of the island's rivers and gullies - ignoring the associated risks from flood waters, especially when the country is hit by storms. It will also look at why they were allowed to build in these dangerous areas in the first place, and examine what is happening with our major rivers and what must be done to ensure that they are trained.
MARK Johnson never thought twice about building a nine-bedroom, seven-bathroom and four-kitchen house on lands his family has owned in Tavern, St Andrew since he was a child.
The view from the exquisitely-designed balcony overlooking the Hope River and the high hills of Gordon Town is a nature lover's dream.
He ended up spending millions of dollars, over time, on his 'dream house', which had a fish pond in the front yard.
After all, it was the perfect location for an investment he hoped would have given him good returns when he started renting some of the rooms.
But that dream became a nightmare in August following a visit by an unwelcome visitor named 'Gustav'.
The devastation wreaked on Tavern by flood waters from the dreadful tropical storm caused the Hope River to overflow its bank, washing away several houses, while weakening the structures of several others, including Johnson's dream house - which now sits near the bank, and could collapse at anytime.
"It look like is the wrong bank me invest in," a dejected Johnson told the Observer. Johnson now fears that water from the river could begin running through his house the next time it is in spate.
He said that the river, which was like a distant stream, has crept to within inches of his front door as the banks continued to widen from flood rains throughout the years.
Johnson, 38, said the erosion of the river's banks was not something he believed could have happened in the community in which he has lived since birth.
"This is not capture land you know.we pay taxes for here," he said.
Johnson, who said he started construction of the house 20 years ago, said he had invested in it most of the earnings he made while living in the United States.
"Me regret that me ever come back to Jamaica, and if it wasn't that me tie up meself with so much things me would leave again," he said.
He said it is an especially bitter pill to swallow as he not only spent millions to buy building material, but has spent a 'substantial' amount in taxes to Government.
But despite the dangers posed and the destruction by the Hope River, Johnson said relocation is not an option. Instead, he wants the Government to use money from taxes collected by residents of the community to do protective work on the river.
"Relocation is not the answer because if them relocate and nothing get done to the river, then what will happen to the persons living on the land behind when the river reach them?" he questioned.
He said if Government was willing to pay for the Gabon basket, as well as provide half of the labour cost, some of the residents would be willing to do the protective work themselves.
St Aubyn Bartlett, the member of parliament for Eastern St Andrew, was sympathetic to the residents' plight. He said that except for some areas in the neighbouring River View where some people were guilty of building almost in the river bed, the majority of the houses were never close to the river before now.
The MP said that over the years the river changed course more than once, running easterly, while vegetation grew on the western bank. "When the vegetation began to grow there it looked like good land but it was all sandy soil," Bartlett told the Observer.
He added that during heavy rains, over time, the river burst its banks and again changed course - this time in a westerly direction, which resulted in some houses being washed away.
"There are many areas further up Tavern where people were living 60 to 75 feet from the river bank, but over the years the river has changed course and undermine the land."
Citing an example, Bartlett said he assisted a family to build a retaining wall 30 feet from the river bank, however, after the heavy rains from Hurricanes Emily and Dean the wall came crashing down.
"Since those rains a lot of people who were far away are now almost in the river bed," he added.
The river will continue further inland if proper mitigation work is not done, according to Bartlett, who said he has constantly requested of the Government that this be done. "If nothing is done, over time the river may eventually reach Papine," he added.
According to Bartlett, Tavern was primarily sugar cane lands, with the river running through the property, which was in the 1940s declared a no-build zone.
"Over time we have had persons like myself - and by that I mean politicians - who have said this is land that you can live on although it is not for that purpose," he admitted.
He said it was during the 1950s that the lands along Hope Town Road were sold to persons, through the land agency, by the administration of that time.
Other sections were eventually captured and large concrete houses constructed.
"What you find is that one person live there and when their children grow up they build on top of that house and so you find all three-storey dwellings on a soil that cannot hold these structures," Bartlett explained.
He said in these cases no building approval was sought from the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC).
One resident, Mary Hinds, said there are about 30 of her family members living in the same yard. She said when she went there several years ago the river was never seen as a threat. "By the time we realise that it was a threat we already did invest too much," she said.
Unlike Mark Johnson, however, her house was among one of the many washed away by Gustav in August. The 70-year-old Hinds said she does not know where to begin, having lost everything in the deadly tropical storm.
"Me can't work again and my children them have fi them whole heap ah children of their own and so them no have it fi help me," she said.
Having been forced to live for a month in the community centre, she is now staying in a small room with one of her adult daughters.
"Not even toilet we don't have in this yard with all this whole heap ah people because all it get washed away," she said.
Despite this danger throughout the years her children continued to build their own houses in the yard.
Her daughter Ann-Marie Dixon, who has seven children, said she had nowhere else to go when she started having her children and required a roof of her own.
"Me never know say the river woulda been so dangerous and so ah night time we just ah pray say the rain no fall, especially since me have small children," she said.
The children were seen playing in a room which was abandoned after the erosion of the foundation.
Several other houses were seen sitting precariously on the edge of the river along Hope Town Road. All that was left of one two-storey house was its living room and bathrooms. The angry waters of the Hope River took the rest during Gustav's fury.
Hope Town Road residents, who were offered to be relocated to Cane River, were adamant that they would not go to that area, which is itself close to a river. They were fearful that the nightmare could continue when that river becomes a threat.
NEXT:
The situation in Cane River - the area now being considered by the Government to relocate persons from Kintyre, Tavern and Hope Town Road.