Residents: Govt has failed us

Six weeks after the Piparo mud volcano became active, damaging roads and houses in the area, residents are still waiting for help.

After 22 years of dormancy, villagers began to hear loud noises from the mouth of the volcano, and it began to spew gas and hot mud. Areas within a 500-foot radius were affected. Earth movements caused cracks in the main road into Piparo – and also the home of Fedell Solomon.

Chairman of the Princes Town Regional Corporation Gowrie Roopnarine said although Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein visited, the villagers have got little or no relief from the government.

“This government failed to deliver on their promise to the people of Piparo, as the roads remain the same and no home was offered to the Solomon family, whose home was damaged when the volcano became active.

“Five weeks ago we asked for 20 tons of hot mix to repair the Piparo Main Road, (which was) affected by the volcanic reactions and to this day we have not gotten any materials,” Roopnarine said. The roads remain in a deplorable state, with major cracks and landslides, he said, and are deteriorating with each day that passes.

Solomon, who had to evacuate his house because of damage caused by the volcano, is also awaiting assistance from the government. Housing Development Corporation (HDC) staffvisited his home, took pictures and filed a report.

“They told me they will assist me in getting a house and since then five weeks have gone and although I got several calls saying they are working on it, to this day I am waiting,” Solomon said. Six members of the Solomon family are now staying with relatives in central Trinidad.

“Every day I have to get up at early morning and journey to Chaguanas and pick up my daughter to take her to school in Marabella and do it all over again on evenings,” Solomon said. The authorities told him to evacuate his home but are yet to find hima new one, he complained. Chairman of the Couva/ Tabaquite Talparo Regional Corporation Henry Awong said he visited the Solomons on Saturday ant took photographs to make representations to the HDC. “I am appealing to the Housing Ministry to look into the matter of relocation for the Solomon family, as his home is no longer safe to live in,” he said.

The police and fire services have cordoned off the mud volcano with caution tape. Awong said seismologists have said no one should go beyond the tape.

“It has been deemed dangerous and people who are now moving the caution tapes and venturing closer to the volcano are putting themselves at risk,” Awong said. The shelter for the people of Piparo in case of an eruption, or any natural disaster, Awong said, is the Piparo Government School.

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath said it is evident that the volcano is acting up from the large cracks in the ground. “The government has once more turned a blind eye to the people of Piparo, not offering any service in terms of accommodation or road repairs,” Padarath said.

“It is clear that this Piparo mud volcano may erupt when least expected, as it is showing signs of eruption.” Geoscientists reported changes on the surface and subsurface of the volcanic vents, he said. The volcano last erupted on February 22, 1997, displacing 31 families and killing livestock and birds.