No flooding at Victoria Keyes

NO flooding took place at the Victoria Keyes Housing project as a result of heavy rainfall in north Trinidad last Sunday.

In a statement, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) said, “The extreme rainfall which took place on July 1 caused flooding in a number of areas.”

But, it claimed, “The flooding which occurred in front of (not at) Victoria Keyes occurred on the highway in the vicinity of the walkover and immediately in front of the vacant site (which is not part of the Victoria Keyes housing development).” The water tends to gather into that area from Powder Magazine Phase 2, the vacant lot and the roadway itself.

The HDC said, “The Victoria Keyes Development therefore has not negatively contributed to the water ponding in that area as there is controlled outflow because of the development’s drainage system which includes detention ponds.”

The corporation said the traffic pile-up on Sunday evening near Victoria Keyes “was not solely as a result of the water which gathered in that area in front of the vacant lot but was as a result of cars being forced to slow down because the entire area on the highway in front of Power Magazine and environs, was flooded.”

Newsday asked about measures to treat with flooding in the Cocorite area and any potential flooding situations at Victoria Keyes. The HDC reiterated, “The flooding did not occur at Victoria Keyes but in front of the vacant lot which is not part of the development.”

The drainage for the area in front of the vacant lot falls under the remit of the Works and Transport Ministry. The HDC said the ministry is aware of the situation in that area, adding, “The ministry had, at some time, installed another culvert to channel water from that specific low point.”

The corporation was confident that given the ministry’s ongoing awareness of this issue, It will be able to reduce the issue of ponding of water in that area.” Officials at the Works and Transport Ministry yesterday confirmed that a culvert had been installed to assist in the drainage of water from this lot. They added the situation is being monitored to see if any additional measures need to be taken. In the Senate on Wednesday, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan indicated that proactive measures taken by the ministry, resulted in none of the major rivers in north Trinidad bursting their banks last Sunday.