Penal/Debe the 'Laventille' of the UNC

MOST of the roads in Penal/Debe were virtual rivers last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday according to president of the Penal/Debe Chamber, Rampersad Seeraj.

Seeraj said there was a complete shutdown of business in the area as residents struggled to cope with flooding due to heavy rainfall last week.

"We are experiencing a total collapse with no economic activities in Penal."

He said difficulties were compounded by a frenzy to replace old $100 bills as the December 31 deadline set by government approaches and banks in the area could not operate because employees were unable to report for work.

Seeraj said floods in Penal were a perennial problem since residents and business people were in the habit of building "everywhere."

“There are businessmen who have diverted watercourses and converted natural watercourses into box drains. They do not have substantial backfilling. And if they are getting Town and Country approval, the question remains: are these people complying with national legislation? If they are not complying, then who are issuing these certificates and who should be held accountable?”

An upset Seeraj, whose home was hit by the floods, said the Penal/Debe Corporation issued notices to a number of businesses on the matter of illegal structures but, “People continue to build without regard for the law.”

Seeraj said the corporation did a survey on the land in Penal and found several businesses that broke the law but nothing was being done about it.

“We of the Penal/Debe area demand good governance, transparency and accountability.”

He said it was time to mobilise support to get government to notice the people Penal/Debe and said the region "is considered the Laventille of the UNC.”

The chamber, he said, is concerned about the lack of interest shown by the members of Parliament for the Naparima Oropouche East and West, Naparima and Siparia.

Seeraj claimed councillors for those areas were inactive and wondered why they were not mobilising people to protest in front of Parliament to highlight their issues.

Greenvale, Seeraj said, had one flood and the people were ready to protest.

“It is a strong PNM area and they were able to fix the problem, retention ponds and pumps working in many areas. Our MPs are paid to work in the interest of the people and if the government is not listening then mobilise and protest."

The Penal/Debe Chamber, he said, has been involved in giving hampers time and time again but the time has come to put an end to flooding by tackling the bigger problem.

“This problem needs to be addressed at a national level and local level.

"At the local level, we see little done by the MPs and councillors and at the national level we see the government has no regard for the people of the south.”

The flooding problem is two-fold, he said, “You can't prevent God's work but the man-made problem of blocking waterways and neglect to the people must come to an end.”

He also asked, “Has anyone estimated what it costs the country in terms of man-hours of productivity and sicknesses and infrastructural problems, damaged and broken homes?”