More than five months of complaints about raw sewage from businesses on Half-Way-Tree Road in the vicinity of the Cross Roads Market in Kingston have not invoked a sustainable response from the authorities, posing a health risk to people who do business in the area.

The Jamaica Observer was bombarded with complaints from store owners, employees, vendors, and delivery men who have to be dealing with the flowing sewage daily.

They identified a pit located inside a grilled area between a pharmacy and a bar and restaurant as the source of the sewage, which runs from there to a gully close to the corner of Half-Way-Tree and Retirement roads. During rainy times, some of the stores become flooded as garbage blocks the channel through which rainwater enters the gully.

One store operator shared that he had to raise the entrance of his establishment to try to keep out rainwater and sewage, which flows into the area once it rains.

“We complain to the [National Water Commission] about it and we are still having big issues with sewage. When the rain falls water sometimes comes inside the shops. If you realise we had to make the entrance higher. Nothing has been done about it.

“The space in the gully is very narrow. What happens now is that when the people leave their garbage and everything it stops the water from flowing into the gully and the water comes and it is very bad for business,” said the store operator.

At another store, a male employee reported that the stench from the raw sewage is a big nuisance. He alleged that people walking in the area are sometimes splashed with sewage by aggressive drivers.

“It smell a way, mi a tell you. Monday mi see a car splash up di people dem. A run mi see a woman run down a Mark X and a beat down the window and a ask di driver if him nuh see seh him wet dem up. Di car just blow off fast and go weh.

“Weh day a bus splash up some girls weh did a walk past. A dat mek mi nuh stand up pon di front because dem ever a splash. It need fi fix, man. Before da month yah start, it did worst because it did a run harder and well stink.”

His female co-worker complained that she has to utilise an excessive amount of bleach to clean the inside of the store whenever it rains.

A male vendor outside the Cross Roads Market charged that the authorities have no care for their health and well-being. He said numerous complaints have been made and the situation has also been highlighted multiple times on various media platforms.

“Mi see all kind a people come highlight it and nothing nuh done bout it, till mi affi a wonder what’s going on in Jamaica. From last year this report.

“This is Cross Roads and all kinds of dignitaries go up and down. A pure people get splash up, and mi nuh know why nothing can’t be done bout it,” said the vendor.