Hosein: Visit the mud volcano...when it’s safe

RURAL Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein visited the mud volcano at the Devil’s Woodyard in New Grant on Wednesday and encouraged the public to visit the facility when it safe to do so.

“A lot of people have not seen what a volcano looks like.

I am encouraging the citizens to come down and see what it looks like when it is opened,” Hosein said.

The mud volcano at Hindustan Road erupted twice on Carnival Tuesday.

Since then officials have closed the facility although there were no further geological activity.

As a precautionary measure, officials closed the road to vehicular and pedestrian traffic except to people residing in the area.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management has advised citizens and tourists to avoid visiting the area until there is official word by the relevant authorities.

The eruptions caused damage to the Princes Town Regional Corporation’s infrastructure on site.

Asked if the Ministry is considering implementing a fee to enter in light of the damage, Hosein responded that was not his call.

“We need to maintain the facility.

That is a decision to be made by council members of the corporation.

No decision is taken if to charge or not to charge,” Hosein said.

“From what I was told, gases came up and caused the explosions. Right now we are seeing some small gases in the bubbles popping up.”

Representatives from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists TT Chapter showed the minister rocks found at the site believed to be dating back to the Cretaceous period (65 million years ago). Secretary Tanuja Balkeran said tests have to be done to confirm the age of the rocks. She said that when a volcano erupts it brings up most of the strata under the earth.

Saying the organisation does not have mud volcano experts, Balkeran added they have no evidence the volcano would erupt again.