Communications minister tours dilapidated Cumberland Hill, no word on repairs

MINISTER of Communications Symon de Nobriga on Saturday toured state-owned TTT’s transmitter facilities at the top of Cumberland Hill, to see what can be done to improve access to the site.

In a WhatsApp response to Sunday Newsday, the minister said the crew was able to make all the way to the site although there were reports that the road access was failing following torrential rain.

"I did stop at about three locations where there were landslips to take a look but none prevented us from passing.

"My ministry wouldn’t be the one that addresses matters like this but the Minister of Works and Transport is fully aware of the situation and I know the Ministry of Works and Transport had equipment there earlier this week," he said.

The TT Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) and other stakeholders have repeatedly warned about the potential for a major communications disruption countrywide, owing to the condition of the access road, causing great expense and inconvenience, while potentially leaving the country’s national security exposed.

The TTPBA has said it has always been among the first to contribute to repairs and maintenance of the hill.

As former chairman of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation, de Nobriga would have received requests to have major repairs done on Cumberland Hill. He was the corporation chairman until he ran for and won the Diego Martin Central seat for the PNM in the last general election.

Caribbean Lifestyle Communications manager Kiran Maharaj, a former TTPBA president, said de Nobriga would have been aware of the issue, at least for a few years, as the former corporation chairman.

“The thing is, when he was chairman, they could give us no help with Cumberland Hill in the first phase of work. (In 2019), all then we were trying to get them involved.”

“He has not been in touch with the TTPBA or any media. He has been made aware of the situation (as minister) by the TTPBA but he has not come back to us with any plan about how, or if, they can do anything.

The Ministry of Works and Transport is responsible for maintaining major roads, while smaller roads (including Cumberland Hill) are typically maintained by the respective city or regional corporations.

“Yet the only person who is trying their best honestly is (works minister) Rohan Sinanan.”

She said Sinanan has shown genuine concern and responded up to Saturday morning. Maharaj said the minister has been in touch with her daily since Thursday.

“(He said) engineers are working on their assessments. He has really done his best to see what can be done (from his ministry).”

She said Sinanan explained there was a minor delay owing to the recent heavy rains.

“(But) as far as I know, de Nobriga has no plan for Cumberland Hill.”

Footage captured by the TTPBA on Saturday shows a severely damaged road, threatened by further landslides, posing a danger to users of the hill and most of the country’s communications infrastructure.

Maharaj told Newsday the Defence Force, which utilises a transmitter, has offered to provide human resources whenever arrangements are finally made to fix the road and hill properly.