The road widening project in Becora, Cristo Rei Administrative Post, Dili, has become a major concern for the local community, particularly in relation to its impact on public health and the community’s daily life.
Community representative Domingos Soares, from Becora, said that during the construction process, dust has increased significantly, particularly during hot weather. The problem not only makes the environment uncomfortable, but also directly affects people’s health, particularly children and elderly people who are more vulnerable.
“We live in this area and breathe dust day and night. When vehicles pass, the dust rises heavily and enters our homes. According to the regulations, the company should spray water four times a day to control the dust, but the reality is different. They only spray water during the hottest part of the day,” Domingos said at his residence in Becora, Dili.
He explained that when water is sprayed during the hottest part of the day, the effect does not last because the water dries quickly.
“They do not spray at night, in the morning or in the afternoon, so the dust continues. We ask them to spray four times a day to reduce this impact,” he added.
On the other hand, Julmira dos Santos, a resident of Becora as well, said that since the project began, her family has had to go to the hospital frequently because the children have respiratory problems and fevers.
“In one week, we can go to the hospital two or three times. At night the children cannot sleep properly because they cough, have blocked noses and find it difficult to sleep. During the day, they have fevers. We believe this is happening because of the dust we are exposed to day and night,” Julmira said.
She added that the condition not only affects children, but also adults who have respiratory conditions such as asthma. Therefore, she called on the relevant authorities to pay attention before the situation becomes more serious.
Responding to these concerns, Minister of Public Works Samuel Marçal said that the government and companies continue to make efforts to control dust by spraying water. However, he also said that Timor-Leste’s hot climate remains a challenge.
“If we want to build good, modern roads that make movement easier, we must accept that during construction there will be consequences such as dust, which cannot be avoided 100 percent.
“We spray water every day, but because the weather is very hot, the water dries quickly and the dust remains. Therefore, we ask communities to be patient while this project is being implemented,” Minister Samuel said.
