‘Govt fell down’

“Catastrophic” and “heart-wrenching” were the words Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar used yesterday to describe the floods which wreaked havoc in parts of east and central Trinidad.

Speaking shortly after delivering cases of water and hampers to people who had to take shelter at the Madras Government Primary School, she said Government had to activate the Disaster Measures Act to ensure the safety of residents in the affected areas.

Flanked by CTTRC chairman Henry Awong and Princes Town MP Barry Padarath, as well as volunteers who were handing out relief supplies, she blamed Government, as it had known about the impending rainfall since last Friday. “It is really catastrophic. It’st really sad and heart-wrenching. I think Government has fallen down on the job, they have collapsed, because the efforts started this morning (yesterday), but it’s too little, too late. They knew since Friday it was coming, and now so many families are marooned. I think it is very sad and not acceptable.

“Shelters were not put in place. People should have been warned or advised where shelters would be. People had to spend the night on their roofs, on top their cars.”

She said government had to implement the measures under the act to save citizens’ lives.

Looking ahead, she said, “What do we do now? I think even though the government is saying it’s a disaster, that is not sufficient. Government must move forthwith under the Disaster Measures Act to allow law enforcement and agencies of national security to have the ability to save the lives of our citizens.”

She said Government had ignored the Opposition’s calls to dredge rivers and watercourses, and wondered what would have been the outcome if a hurricane had struck TT. “Now they crying crocodile tears, because all the time we have been warning and calling for dredging of rivers, flood areas... And this is not even a hurricane. Can you imagine if this was a hurricane? But our infrastructure and drainage is so bad, this is the result.

“The residents are very distraught over their losses and very frank and open about their neglect, and government has not planned for this. Government has done nothing in the past few years. There are people who have still not received any relief from the last flooding.”

The act provides for the “taking of prompt and expeditious measures for the alleviation of the effects of disaster and for matters connected therewith.”

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal cancelled the launch of his “In Defence of Democracy Fund” event to focus on providing relief to his constituents who were affected by the floods.

He said, “We have asked people to donate food items to the flood areas. We are preparing a hot meal and mobilising other type of relief such as blankets, cleaning equipment, to assist those areas which were heavily hit.

“We still have some challenge in getting the food to the locations through the MPs offices, and we are working now with the authorities to get the right transport and people to take hot food to the affected areas.”

Chaguanas East MP Fazal Karim said his constituency had largely been spared, though water from other constituencies such as the hard-hit Caroni East would have to flow through Chaguanas on its way to the Gulf of Paria.

“Thankfully, the majority of areas were spared the worst due, in no small measure, to our ongoing efforts for cleaning of waterways and drains in the constituency, especially the Warren/Monroe Road large concrete drain.”

In addition, he said, “People have been given sandbags, as many as possible, as required, but fortunately the water is going down and we are looking at the low tide happening at 7.51 pm (last evening), and that would be able to pull the water out.”

He said teams had been deployed to survey the “choke points” along the river system and remedial work would be done this morning by the regional corporation.