Local Government Ministry begins cleanup campaign against dengue

AFTER over 600 laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue fever and five deaths, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government has begun what it says is an aggressive campaign to clean up vacant lots across the country.

Speaking to reporters at the Disaster Management Building, Circular Road, San Fernando, Minister Faris Al-Rawi said the seven-week Cut and Clear Initiative would see 900 Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) workers carry out cleanup exercises, tackling two regional corporation areas per week.

The programme kicked off on August 5 in the Penal Debe Regional Corporation and the San Fernando City Corporation's areas.

"We've done over 16,400 man hours in three days alone, so this is a significant amount of work."

Al-Rawi said the programme would be clearing and cleaning up vacant lots, but the crews would be limited to public lands. He said this is because current legislation does not allow them to enter private property to work. This, he said, would be solved with local government reform and the introduction of the property tax.

In the meantime, he said citizens needed to be responsible and clean up their surroundings.

"Trinidadians in particular are not taking care of their premises.

"We don't have the right to lawfully enter into private lands. That's where mosquito issues happen. So we've done the public drains, we're doing the public lands, now we're taking an extra step where we get consent – but people of Trinidad have to help themselves. The State can only go so far."

Al-Rawi said this initiative will not cost taxpayers, because the CEPEP assets were simply being rediverted.

"The cost is really going to be the delay in CEPEP's usual work as we spread them in a blitz campaign right now."

Before meeting with the minister, Newsday saw over a dozen derelict vehicles and old tyres discarded at the ministry's Disaster Management Building. Asked about this, Al-Rawi said they were being discarded later that day.

The public can report an overgrown area by sending their name, contact information, location of the overgrown area and a nearby landmark via WhatsApp only to 766-4199.

Clean-up schedule:

August 12-16: Diego Martin and Chaguanas Borough Corporations

August 19-23: Couva/Tabaquite/TaIparo and Princes Town Regional Corporations

August 26-30: Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation and Arima Borough Corporation

September 2-6: Port of Spain City Corporation and San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation

September 9-13: Siparia and Point Fortin Borough Corporations

September 16-20: Sangre Grande and Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporations.