![]() |
CRABS AT KEMPINSKI |
![]() |
ANTHONY HAIDENS PALAC |
In the interest of the general public, we are seeking answers from the minister responsible for public health and safety Mr. Kassani Laville on the seemingly colossal Septic System failure at the Intercontinental Resort. Upon learning of the Sewer handling problem at the resort we were ask by some residents in the area to come down to Portsmouth at a time when the stench was grossly overwhelming, and the resort management would employ what we deemed a stench control operation. As to what exactly the resort management was doing with the sewage to help mitigate the stench – we don’t know for sure.
What we can say is that on the night of our visit the resort had been running pumps for hours and according to residents who are too afraid to speak out, some kind of pumping operation is what the resort management does every time there is a sewer stench explosion. The obvious questions are – what it is that the resort is pumping during the late-night hours and whatever is being pumped where it is dumped. On the night of our visit, we saw no trucks entering and leaving the facility while the pumps were running. In other to allay concerns the resort management and frankly the ministry responsible for health and safety need to speak to the public on this matter. We know for a fact that officers from environmental health and safety department are aware of the sewer problems at the resort and have visited the problem area.
The Intercontinental resort formerly the Kempinski Hotel was built on a section within the Cabrits National Park and the area in question had been designated an area with a high-water table. In fact, people we spoke too, senior residents who have lived in the area all their lives told us that this Part of the Lagoon area of Portsmouth was referred to as the “Swamp” and that the area was well known for thousands of wandering crabs whose burrows were overwhelmed by the high-water table. A gentleman in his mid-fifties blurted out “that’s where Bubbles use to catch all his crabs.” He also reminded us of that viral video showing crabs storming the resort after a rain event. See the above photo.
Everyone can already see where this is going because it is well documented that the Intercontinental Resort facility was constructed sans an environmental impact studies and without due Physical Planning involvement.
Some people were concerned about the reckless disregard for the environment, some spoke out and others for political reasons remain silent. The apparent sewer failure that is now a nuisance at the Cabrits Intercontinental Resort is really no surprise; not just because of the high risk involved with a septic tank and drainage field system in a very swampy area but also the desultory planning process, the political motive and excessive profiteering tactics by the passport selling developers and politicians all essential ingredients for short cut engineering planning and design.
From all indication, the stench that we were met with on that late night visit and the suspected sewer pumping operation, we believe that this is related to a septic system failure at the Intercontinental Resort.
Septic system failure occurs when wastewater discharged (effluent discharge) from the septic tank to a drain field does not percolate into the subsurface. Such failure usually happens when there is a high-water table condition resulting in inadequate permeability of the drainage- field sediments. For simplicity or in colloquial parlance -the “soaka-way” is clogged. Mechanical failures involving bad pipe connections could also result in Septic system failure however the intense putrid stench and the suspected sewer pumping operation suggest that the problem is way beyond just a pipe leak.
Septic System failures or simply placement of septic system in a soil with inadequate absorption could result in leaked bacteria, viruses, household chemicals, and other contaminants into the groundwater system and potentially impacting drinking water sources. The ecosystem may also be impacted as leaked septic discharges containing nitrogen and phosphorus compounds could cause algal growth in our rivers and ocean estuaries thus further destroying the wildlife in the area.
What Matters -Political Party Loyalty or Health & Safety?
In
the name of party politics or for the sake of “development” we or rather the
people of Portsmouth can choose to ignore the situation at the Cabrits National
Park. The people of Portsmouth may not be concerned about the disappearance of
the “wammier bird”, egrets, crabs and other wildlife from the Cabrits National
Park. Renneth Bubbles Alexis himself may never have to catch crabs from the
Swamp Area for a living however for God’s sake contaminated groundwater poses a
severe health risk and based on the contaminants may threaten deadly diseases
like dysentery, hepatitis organ damages and even cancer.
At some point in time we the people of Dominica may want to consider a case if “ECOCIDE” against the perpetrators- that is the political hyenas and the passport selling developers.
The easy thing to say is that the intercontinental resort facility is already built and there is nothing we can do about it. We can also say many of us forewarned of the consequences of the decision to build the resort at that location but that too is a moot point but there is something that can be done at this very moment and that is to stop the slouching construction of the yacht mariner in the heart of the swamp. In fact, the Portsmouth residents that we spoke to told us that the yacht mariner location was so swampy that people including crab and bird hunters would not even venture into this extremely swampy area.
The apparent septic system failure at the Cabrits resort is yet another reminder of the corruption, incompetence and recklessness of the current Roosevelt Skerrit government administration. It also reminds us of the fact that these so-called developers using our passport moneys to build white elephants and Tofu Dregs (Chinese term for junk, substandard construction) while they develop plush properties in the UAE - none of these properties having poor construction issues or sewer handling problems.
From New York City court documents, we understand that the Intercontinental Resort developer Mohamed Azaria and his Range Development company made more than US$30 Million even before one room was booked at the resort. Also from a UAE property search we notice that Mohamed Azaria of Range Development is selling villas from their “Silk Leaf 4 “development project in Dubai for a whopping US $20 Million. On behalf of our CBI accountability movement, we would genuinely like to ask Mohamed Azaria whether his Dubai Silk Leaf 4 Development has any sewer problems like there is at Cabrits resort?
We also notice that since we wrote about the Anthony Haiden and MMC connection to the Dubai’s London Gate project and the many other residential and commercial complexes in Dubai we have since found many other real estate developments associated with Anthony Haiden and MMC. We have uncovered his palace in the Pearl Jumeirah area in Dubai. The land alone was allegedly acquired for US $50 Million. There is Building (G+3P+ 10TYP +Roof) meaning garage plus 3 parking levels plus ten stories and roof. That property in the Al Nuaimiya 2 Ajman Dubai.
Another Anthony Haiden as Client Building (G+4P+ 6TYP +Roof) meaning garage plus 3 parking levels plus ten stories and roof. That property in the Al Nuaimiya 2 Ajman Dubai.
These are just a few of the many developments in Dubai that are linked to Anthony Haiden of MMC. We are not even looking at those tied to London Gate such as the Golf Vista Heights in Dubai’s sports City. Our question is not about the mind busting wealth that Anthony Haiden has acquired for himself since Roosevelt Skerrit and Dominica’s CBI passports for fell in his lap. We just want to ask Anthony Haiden of MMC whether the enumerable properties linked to his name in Dubai have sewer issues because it is no secret that those apartments building that Anthony Haiden and MMC have built in Dominica using our passport revenues have serious sewage handling issues. So much so that people can’t even stay in those apartments because of the stench coming from the badly built sewer management system.
I would like to think that Anthony Haiden of MMC nor Mohamed Azaria of Range Development would dare not develop projects in Dubai with sewer problems like they have done for us in Dominica using our own passport moneys.
Doesn’t that make you angry?? Speak Out or forever hold your peace