Dear Minister Maria Bird-Browne, Prime Minister Gaston Browne and the Director of Public Works,

My name is Amber Thomas, and I have lived peacefully in Bottom Village, All Saints, also known to some as Montrulla, for the past 15 years. I am a parent of three young children, two of whom aged two and four have asthma.

For several weeks, the Ministry of Works has been concreting the road from Buckleys towards All Saints Road, near the area known as Smoke or Smokey. Work has now reached the final stretch, but sections of the road have been graded down and left unfinished, with steel exposed in some areas.

The resulting dust has become unbearable. It covers our home and vehicles, but my greatest concern is its effect on my children. My two children with asthma have been wheezing frequently and need their asthma inhalers more often than usual.

Before the road was left in this condition, their symptoms generally became this severe only during periods of Saharan dust. We are now facing these difficulties repeatedly because of the dust from the unfinished road.

I am urgently appealing to the Honourable Maria Bird-Browne, the Honourable Prime Minister Gaston Browne and the Director of Public Works to prioritise completing the concreting work in Bottom Village. In the meantime, I ask that immediate measures be taken to reduce the dust and provide relief for affected households, including other families with young children.

I am also concerned about vehicles travelling over the exposed steel, which appears to scrape the underside of some vehicles and raises further safety concerns.

We appreciate the road improvements, but the current conditions are placing a serious strain on my family. Please help us obtain relief as soon as possible. I am deeply worried about how much longer my children can endure this level of dust.

Yours sincerely,

Amber Thomas

Concerned resident of Bottom Village, All Saints

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: LETTER: Urgent Appeal for Relief from Roadworks Dust in Bottom Village, All Saints.