00:00Widening cracks and shifting land are visible in and around at least two houses along Sagan Drive
00:07within the Fairfield Estate's HTC development in Princess Town.
00:12Retired primary school teacher Jiwan Ragu says the landslip has been a constant threat to his home for the past
00:20six years.
00:22After a decade living in the community, he fears the situation is worsening and could eventually put lives and property
00:29at risk.
00:30Drive and everything is showing massive movements all here so it continues to sink and move and slip.
00:39And the HTC has been doing nothing about it. They've been neglecting this for six years now.
00:44My tank floor was right here. It was at the level of that walkway.
00:47It had dropped about six foot. This earth had dropped about six foot in the landslip.
00:53I could have some filling up here a bit so it doesn't look that steep anymore.
00:56I had coconut trees and almond trees right here.
00:59It's the same story for his neighbor.
01:02This has caused our tank stand to move approximately 20 feet, coconut trees to move at least 20 feet.
01:09The back of our home, you can't walk properly.
01:12They say the HTC was contacted from the time the first sign of land movement emerged in 2020.
01:19Officials who made visits, open visits, promising to rehabilitate the land and put things such as box drains, gabion baskets
01:30and retaining walls.
01:33As recent as last year, Mr. Raghu says some minor shoring work was done to the back of his house,
01:39but it failed soon after.
01:42Frustrated by the lack of action, Raghu says he has sought assistance from the Office of the Ombudsman, but has
01:49yet to receive any relief.
01:51Although he is weighing legal action against the HTC, he says he would prefer the agency take responsibility and resolve
01:59the issue before it causes further damage.
02:02What I really want the HTC to do now, and the Ministry of Housing, is to start back this work
02:08urgently and get it done.
02:11This land is not waiting on their bureaucracy.
02:15This land is moving.
02:17Houses are deteriorating here.
02:19So what they would have to do is construct proper drainage between our homes.
02:25Then a retaining wall is mandatory.
02:27When contacted by TV6, Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Philip Alexander, said he will meet with the affected residents
02:36in their community on Monday,
02:38together with a team from the HTC, to find a way forward on the issues raised.
02:44Cindy Raghuva Thika Singh, TV6 News.
02:47Cindy Raghu jug, Coch kn kitab
02:51We are still in the hall, and we are still in the hall being.
02:51You
