Bharath to govt on St Augustine development: Meet with us

Vasant Bharath
Vasant Bharath

Former minister of food production, land and agriculture Vasant Bharath yesterday called on the Prime Minister to meet with him and members of the TT Agricultural Society to discuss the future of the St Augustine Nurseries and to prevent any development in the area.

Speaking before a press conference at the Valpark Chinese Restaurant, Valsayn, Bharath said urban development was of concern not only for farmers but also for the public, citing TT's sizeable food import bill as a reason to revitalise the agriculture sector.

Bharath said there was need to investigate the process behind government's rights to develop the land, saying the Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) was granted without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) being done. The lack of a proper investigation of the site for intended development could result in the loss of fertile soil and contaminated waterways, he said..

"Class one soil at the St Augustine nurseries would be lost when these high rise, steel and concrete structures are brought and could have several negative environmental impacts, including increased run-off, waste management, flooding and traffic issues.

"Water quality would be adversely affected, as there would be a loss of water filtration. The Agricultural Services Division strongly advises against the development of the St Augustine Nurseries. We are not against the building of houses, but there are hundreds of acres of land that can be easily utilised for this purpose."

Bharath said owing to the urgency of the situation, he urged the government to meet with the society and said he intended to write to the Prime Minister requesting a meeting. If this was not done, Bharath said he and other stakeholders were considering their legal options if the government intended to proceed with development.

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"Bharath to govt on St Augustine development: Meet with us"

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