Corporations face challenges with flood clean up

TOCO/ Sangre Grande Regional Corporation chairman Terry Rondon yesterday said relief supplies cannot be delivered to some places in the region because of garbage accumulated there as a result of last weekend’s floods.

While the corporation has been doing what it could to clear the garbage, Rondon said it is too much.

He said the corporation needs help and is appealing for additional trucks to be sent to Sangre Grande to assist with garbage removal. Rondon also said some cesspits overflowed and are posing a health hazard. “We don’t have the equipment” he said.

Rondon said the Works and Transport Ministry has been sending teams to assist with clean up operations. He said the Health Ministry needed to send personnel to help in spraying the affected areas. Rondon identified Vega de Oropouche and North Oropouche among two of the worst affected areas

Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation chairman Paul Leacock said the corporation has been receiving help from the San Fernando City, Point Fortin Borough and San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporations in its clean up efforts.

Leacock said there has been progress in cleaning up the Greenvale and Oropune areas. He said the main challenge has been traffic in the area as residents try to get home. Leacock urged burgesses to hold strain and rest assured that everything possible is being done to restore their lives to normalcy.

Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation Glen Ram claimed the corporation received no help from the Government to deal with flooding in the area. Until recently, Ram said Cedar Grove was impassable and relief supplies could not be delivered to people who spent days marooned in their homes.

Noting the corporation has only one working sanitation truck at this time, Ram appealed to other local government corporations to assist with additional trucks. He said farmers in places like Plum Mitan lost all their crops. Ram hoped the Agriculture Ministry would properly compensate them.

A statement issued by the Rural Development and Local Government Ministry listed ongoing relief efforts at several corporations. The ministry said 1,100 households were affected in Toco/Sangre Grande and 60 per cent of them have been sanitised. An additional 160 workers were hired to help with clean up efforts. Additional water trucks were also made available.

In Tunapuna/Piarco, 12 shelters were opened to assist approximately 900 displaced people. Five shelters are currently still occupied by flood victims. The Mayaro Civic Centre, which was being used as a shelter, was closed because its occupants were able to return to their homes. The ministry said 11 areas in Mayaro/Rio Claro were assessed and completed. These included Cooper Trace. Mafeking and Sesame Street. Cedar Grove, Gould Street and Cham Road are among 11 areas in the region still being assessed.The Arima Borough Corporation has been lending support to the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation with clean up and assessment control, the ministry said.