Prakash: Bamboo hard hit by floods

SEAN DOUGLAS

ST Augustine MP Prakash Ramadhar said 80 per cent of homes in a section of Bamboo #2 were under flood-waters. He spared a minute to hurriedly talk to Newsday while he was in the field trying to help hard-hit constituents for whom the deluge was not yet over.

He gave an update at 2 pm, amid a slight rain-fall after the morning’s reprieve of bright skies, all following three days prior of a constant downpour.

“The waters have risen since we’ve been here for the past couple of hours. It has been drizzling for the last hour or so, with thunder and lightning from time to time. The water has risen and we appreciate it is now high tide so this rise in not unexpected.”

Newsday asked if on Sunday residents had enjoyed any respite from Saturday’s flooding. Ramadhar said, “The water has risen from yesterday. A large percentage of homes in this area are now under water. Of all the homes south of the Bamboo Main Road, about 80 percent would be affected by rain.”

Ramadhar said he is helping take donations of foodstuff and other items into the community to help flood-hit residents.

Many other MPs from flood-hit areas seemed too inundated to answer their phones when Newsday called.

Paul Leacock, chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, said,"The water may not recede as quickly as we'd like it to. That's our biggest challenge." He spoke to Newsday from the corporation office at Centenary Street, Tunapuna, where he was directing the collection, tallying and delivery of relief supplies, and administering the relief centres. Leacock said the corporation had initially begun cleansing the area of flood-hit Greenvale but had stopped when rain resumed falling yesterday (Sunday.) He said cadets had helped in the distribution of relief, with many donations being sourced by the TT Manufacturers Association, Rotary Club, Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon and the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Commerce.