Trinidad and Tobago Guardian
25 May 2023 Page 4
Heritage orders family to demolish all structures in pipeline’s path By Sascha Wilson The family accused of encroaching on Heritage Petroleum’s right-of-way at the site of the oil spill in Fyzabad has been instructed to demolish any structure in the pathway of the underground pipeline. Azam Mohammed yesterday claimed he was handed a letter by company officials when he returned to his home on Monday at Oil Well Road, Massahood Junction where clean-up works are still ongoing. Mohammed said, “This letter stating that they coming Thursday, which is tomorrow (today), to pinpoint all which part they have to break down, otherwise they give me 21 days to break down them thing,” he said. While Mohammed admitted that the pipeline runs between his two houses, he said, “It ent have nothing to break down really. The line out of the two houses.” However, he admitted that one of his houses is built less than a foot from the pipeline. Mohammed claimed his father built their home more than six decades ago and paid rent for the land. However, he said his father stopped paying the rent many years ago. The Mohammed family was among nine families who were evacuated to the Paria Suites Hotel after two leaks occurred along a 16- inch trunk pipeline on May 14, spilling crude oil into properties and drains within the community. Six of the families returned to their homes last Friday. Mohammed, however, said he has received no word about when his family will be given the allclear to return home. Insisting that the pipeline was condemned by Petrotrin, he claimed Heritage recently recommissioned the line, making the area unsafe for residents. However, he said his family is willing to be relocated. “Relocation for the people is the best thing. All who around the line have to move from there, otherwise they have to move the line,” he said. Meanwhile, attorneys Indira Binda, Vishwanath Seecharan and Jesse Paul are now representing Mohammed and some of the other affected families. The attorneys met with some of the residents on Tuesday to initiate legal proceedings against Heritage in an attempt to receive compensation for them. One of the residents, Suresh Ramsundar, said the company asked them to sign a document but they refused. “They wanted we to sign a form that they wouldn’t stand no liability for any damages. None of we sign it, that is why we had to get the lawyer involved.” However, he said he was pleased with the company’s clean-up efforts. Guardian Media reached out to Heritage yesterday but up to press time there was no response. PICTURE RISHI RAGOONATH- Azan Mohammed outside his home on Oil Well Road in Fyzabad, after the Heritage oil spill earlier this month.