When will flooding in Caparo end?

THE EDITOR: The November 26 press conference by several ministers about dealing with the flooding all over the country was similar to the initiatives of former US president Donald Trump. It was a pappyshow moment. Not a message of comfort, but rather it was distressing as people were seriously hurt –financially, emotionally and socially. You do not sit in the command centre and solve the flooding problem. It was an assembly for ministers to praise each other for doing nothing.

I continue to advocate for relief for the people of Caparo, who have suffered from floods for as long as I can remember. So, will there ever be a solution to the perennial flooding in Caparo and environs? Political parties on the campaign trail always highlight the flooding challenges the Caparo people face, but when in government that issue is put on the back burner.

Residents recall the plan by former minister of works and transport Franklin Khan in 2007, who spoke of a strategy to minimise flooding and gave residents the expectation that something positive would be done soon. The price of land and property would escalate as investors would flock to the area.

The budget for tackling this was close to $175 million and the money for a promised dam was available. Dutch experts were brought in to advise the Government and they held numerous meetings with residents, all to no avail. What has happened to those studies and the Dutch experts' final reports?

Also, Colm Imbert had promised at a meeting in Chaguanas in November of 2007 that construction of the Mamoral Dam would begin the following month. What has happened to the project?

Additionally, students from the University of Tennessee in the US carried out research on the flooding problem and how it could be tackled. But that too was to no avail. The flooding issue even became a social studies subject in the secondary school curriculum. I personally hosted a group of CAPE students from St Joseph's Convent in Port of Spain and held several media interviews highlighting the plight of the people of Caparo. The issue of the Caparo floods is a topic in Caribbean Readers Book Five.

In my over 50 years in public service, part as a councillor, I advocated that the Caparo River could have been developed into a tourism destination, along with the AB Carr Building, named after the former colonial secretary of the then colony of Trinidad. I have made several radio, TV and press interviews highlighting the plight of the residents and business people of the area because of the flood problem in Caparo and environs – Mamoral, Mamoral Nos 1 and 2, Chickland Road, Sharpe Road, Santa Phillipa Road, Brasso Piedra, Telemaque Road. All to no avail.

I am also calling on the relevant authorities to embark on an aerial spraying and cleaning of all cesspits to ward off any potential diseases, especially since we still have covid19 with us.

However, what I and the people of the area want to know is when will the Caparo flooding end?

PARAS RAMOUTAR

via e-mail