Massive losses expected

File photo: Pedestrians with their trusty umbrellas walk through rain along Independence Square in Port of Spain.
File photo: Pedestrians with their trusty umbrellas walk through rain along Independence Square in Port of Spain.

With the TT Met office forecasting “near normal” rainfall totals for the 2019 wet season, the heads of two regional corporations are warning that flooding is expected to occur in traditional flood-prone areas.In a candid interview, yesterday, Penal/Debe Regional Corporation chairman Dr Allen Sammy said while they cleaned a significant number of minor watercourses, the Ministry of Works only cleared portions of the larger watercourses in his region.

“The Oropouche River for example, they have not cleaned it in its entirety. They have cleaned parts so upstream will flood, and downstream will flood and I don’t think it will be that much better this year, unfortunately,” Sammy said.

He added, “Last year we had millions of dollars of property and crop loss and I suspect that if the rain falls like it did last year, then we are going to be no better off.”Sammy said the ministry claimed it had no money and no equipment to clean major rivers during the severe dry season.

“But they offered some contracts, so I am not saying there was no cleaning done, but I am saying they themselves told me the cleaning they considered high priority is where there are people and businesses.”He said he submitted a six-point plan to the ministry last year to address the issue, but it was ignored.

“You will have to wait for the UNC to get back into government for a comprehensive plan to be implemented, and you can quote me on that,” he said defiantly.Meanwhile, Couva/Tabaquite/ Talparo Regional Corporation chairman Henry Awong said while some work had been done, the larger rivers which emptied into the Gulf of Paria had not been cleaned sufficiently.

“It was done piece meal in some areas and not done totally. In some of the major watercourses, nothing was done, like the Guaracara River which affects places like Gasparillo and Williamsville and which had significant flooding last year.”

Asked what he expected for the current wet season, he said, “I don’t want to say I am expecting the same thing but we are bracing for flooding.”He said while persons were focused no floods, there were other occurrences associated with the wet season such as landslips. He said the corporation did not have enough resources to purchase sandbags or maintain its equipment to assist families who may become marooned in their homes due to landslides or floods.

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