Residents call for backfilling of controversial trench that has become breeding ground for mosquitoes and safety risk.
A water catchment dug at the intersection of Pelican Avenue and First Avenue East in Husbands Gardens has become a persistent headache for residents, who say the trench is accumulating stagnant water and creating public health and safety risks. According to reporting by Barbados Today, the catchment was originally dug in March to help manage flooding on Independence Drive following complaints to the Ministry of Transport and Works.
However, long-time residents including Henderson Greaves, who has lived in the area for 34 years, have questioned both the logic and execution of the project. Greaves noted that Independence Drive sits on higher ground than the catchment location, making it unclear how water from the area would flow uphill to the road. He and other residents believe the real drainage problem stems from a well to the east of First Avenue that has overflowed during heavy rainfall, not from Independence Drive itself.
The stagnant water has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and poses safety concerns for pedestrians and children who once played in the area. Residents report that approximately 40 truckloads of soil were removed during the initial work, but no follow-up maintenance or assessment has occurred since. They argue that the clay substrate beneath the catchment prevents water from draining naturally, and that a blocked cave entrance at the western end has further compromised the drainage system that previously functioned through an existing well network.
After receiving complaints, St James South MP Sandra Husbands contacted the Drainage Unit to investigate. According to her statement to Barbados Today, a technical team visited the site to assess where the water is coming from and why it is not draining properly. Husbands said the Drainage Unit would return to her office with recommended technical approaches once their assessment is complete.
Residents are calling for the catchment to be backfilled entirely and for water to be properly channelled back to the existing well system that previously managed drainage in the area without incident. They have expressed frustration after contacting multiple government agencies, with each claiming the issue falls outside their responsibility.
Husbands Gardens is a residential community in St James South, Barbados. The area has experienced flooding during heavy rainfall events, including an incident when the island received nine inches of rain in four hours in a previous year.
This story reflects broader infrastructure and drainage challenges facing Caribbean communities, where poorly planned or inadequately maintained public works can create public health hazards and erode community trust in government agencies.
Written & Edited by Orlyn Edwards. Published by Caribbean Air Force Media.
Category: News · Island routing: Barbados