19 lights for Cow Farm Road

FARMERS and residents of Cow Farm Road, Goldsborough in Tobago are the latest beneficiaries of the ongoing Street Lighting Programme spearheaded by the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) Division of Settlements, Urban Renewal and Public Utilities.

State utility T&TEC completed the installation of 19 streetlights in the predominantly agricultural community on Tuesday. The area is home to approximately 50 homestead farmers, the National Energy Skills Center (NESC) and the Plant Diagnostic Unit of the Department of Food Production. There are also two waterfalls and nature trails which serve as tourist attractions in the district. The street lighting exercise was funded by the THA under the Public Utilities arm of the Division at a cost of $49,216. At a site visit on Tuesday Secretary of the Division of Settlements, Urban Renewal and Public Utilities Assemblyman Clarence Jacob noted: “The electrification of these areas has been a part of my mandate as Secretary with the responsibility for Public Utilities. Street lighting will bring much relief to Farmers who suffer losses due to praedial larceny.”

The aim of the Street Lighting programme is to facilitate requests from the public in communities without the commodity. The overall objectives of the programme are to provide safety, security and comfort for community and to act as a deterrent to praedial larceny. The Public Utilities Department receives applications annually, following which an impact assessment is conducted and recommendations made for installations.

Secretary of the Division of Food Production, Forestry and Fisheries, who is also the area representative for the Belle Garden/Goodwood electoral district, Assemblyman Hayden Spencer applauded the initiative.

“This will in effect be a deterrent to the larceny experienced by farmers who live in the area. These houses were built by the Government in the early 1960’s and provided for the farmers and their families.

A number of famers have been complaining of a loss of their cattle, sheep and goats at night, so this will be great relief for farmers and their families who live here,” Spencer said.