PM: No need to relocate

UPDATE:

THE Prime Minister yesterday said communities like Greenvale which were affected by floods two weeks ago, will not be relocated. Dr Rowley explained that relocation of such communities is unnecessary when engineering solutions can be found to mitigate flooding in their areas.

Rowley said the former People’s Partnership (PP) government ignored an engineering solution for Greenvale the Opposition is now wrongly blaming the People’s National Movement for flooding in Greenvale.

At a news conference at Tower D of the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre, Rowley said, “For those areas that are already occupied in zones which are potentially exposed to flooding, it is not feasible to talk about removing them.” Rowley said engineering solutions must be identified for built communities which face flooding risks.

He said the PP received a letter from Trinity Housing Limited dated August 9, 2010, which identified such a solution for Greenvale. Trinity was the contractor building houses in Greenvales three housing phases. Rowley said the PP was aware of three flooding incidents at the site. These happened on August 21, 2009; November 24, 2009 and May 26, 2010. Rowley said the last flood was the heaviest and happened two days after the May 24, 2010 general election.

The PM said Trinity proposed an engineering solution which included a flood gate system and containment of water from the east and northeast sections of Greenvale. Rowley asked, “Was that advice and was any such work done?” The PM said the period which this letter covered included “the famous morning of the tall boots” when his predecessor Kamla Persad-Bissessar went out to see the floods.

Slamming Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal for misleading the population about Greenvale, Rowley said the $120 million the PP spent on the controversial Eden Gardens’ land acquisition could have been used to prevent flooding at Greenvale.

The PM said former Housing Development Corporation managing director Jerlean John also knew that “there is an engineering solution that could ameliorate or eliminate this problem.”

Rowley said the Works and Transport Ministry’s drainage division has been mandated to find an engineering improvement to bring comfort to the people of Greenvale. He said solution which the PP ignored will be looked at. The PM told reporters, “I will not be engaging this issue again as I am doing now because you are asking the wrong people the questions.”

He added, “You are talking to the wrong people. They’re chaining you up and sending you to ask questions of this government when in fact the questions ought to be asked of those who had the responsibility.” Saying attempts to construct houses at Greenvale began in 1979, Rowley said the area always had a drainage issue and refusals were not granted unless there were solutions to address this issue. While Greenvale was supposed to consist of five phases, Rowley said construction on the last two phases was refused because of the drainage issues there.

ORIGINAL STORY:

THE Prime Minister today said the former People's Partnership (PP)government ignored an engineering solution which could have prevented the major flooding which occurred recently in Greenvale.

Dr Rowley also said it is not feasible to relocate communities like Greenvale because solutions can be found to mitigate flooding in their areas. He made these statement at a news conference at Tower D of the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre.

Rowley said a letter from Trinity Housing Limited to the PP offered an engineering solution for flooding in Greenvale. He said this letter noted there were two flooding incidents in 2009 and another on May 26, 2010, two days after the PP won that year's general election.

Rowley said this advice was ignored and his predecessor was parading in flood waters in tall boots. He said the People's National Movement will now look at this solution which the PP ignored as it seeks to address flooding in Greenvale.

He explained the Works and Transport Ministry's drainage division had been given this assignment. Rowley also slammed the PP for spending $120 million to acquire lands in Eden Gardens, Freeport, instead of using that money to address flooding in Greenvale and elsewhere. The PM said the population needs to take all attempts by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, the United National Congress and its allies to blame the PNM for flooding with "a mouthful of salt." "You are talking to the wrong people," Rowley told reporters after he and Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis outlined the history of the Greenvale housing project.