FLASH FLOODING hit some of the lowest-lying areas of the Penal/Debe municipality on November 20, stranding dozens of motorists. Having received an estimated 120 per cent increase in funding for fiscal 2026, the Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) chairman says detailed mitigation works for the perennial issue are on the table for the upcoming dry season.
Speaking with Newsday at his municipal corporation’s Debe office on November 20, Gowtam Maharaj said extensive watercourse clearing work initiated by the new administration earlier this year has been successful in averting major flooding incidents in the municipality affecting households, but admits much more needs to be done.
“There are a number of areas that have not been completed. There are some areas that there are bottlenecks; either encroachment; either fallen trees; either bridges that need addressing; or like I explained, let’s say there is an old flood gate where the concrete structure is there. So in our second pass, we would be addressing those matters.”
According to the ministry, street flooding was limited to the SS Erin Road in the vicinity of Batchyia Village, Patiram Trace, Clarke Road and Rock Road. All areas were passable to most vehicular traffic when Newsday visited shortly after lunch, though the deepest waters were along Rock Road.
Maharaj said there are detailed plans for remedial works across all ten municipal districts, which are expected to be passed at the statutory meeting of the council on November 27. It would then go to the ministry for final approval. He said the municipal corporation intends to closely collaborate with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the South Oropouche River Basin project to alleviate the floods. He was especially encouraged by the reversal of a policy instituted by the previous administration, which he believes stymied the corporation’s work.
“A procedure that meant only when the job is finished, then the Ministry (of Rural Development and Local Government) would be releasing the funds to the contractor and it really was a convoluted process. We have word now from the Minister of Rural Development and Local Government that procedure and that nightmare would no longer be. It would be as it always has been, where the regional corporation manages its work, manages its funds, manages its payment.”
He said the procedure dissuaded contractors from engaging in work, and many who obliged still require payment.
An estimated 60 per cent of the PDRC’s municipality lies within the Oropouche watershed, making it particularly flood-prone. The area was last inundated in June, again primarily street flash flooding, though some homes were affected. The last major flooding event was in September 2024, with many homes in Batchyia, Rock Road and environs affected.
Residents of Short Street off Pond Street, La Romaine are pleading with authorities to repair their road which is now a dirt track. They said when it’s hot and dry, dust from the road invades their homes, covering everything and posing a health hazard especially children and pets. And when it rains, the road becomes a mass of mud and is virtually impassable to vehicles.
Then too, are the potholes which adds to the residents’ stress. Residents in about 24 houses along Short Street are said to be directly affected.
“You could fall when you going to the shop. The children slipping and falling down. Even we the adults, we are tripping and falling too. It’s really terrible,” cried Hazel-Ann Cox, 45. She has lived in the are for the past 20 years.
In the dry season, she said, the mud turns to dust which covers everything and everyone in the houses which line the street. She said of the 40 children in the community, about five suffer with respiratory issues.
Mother of five Onika Waldron said her 11-year-old son suffers with his sinus and the dust agitates his condition.
“When the rain don’t fall, the trucks and them come down and is a lot of dust when they drive down. Dust blowing and it affecting all of us especially the children.”
The affected residents claimed that trucks loaded with construction material, which regularly traversed the road to get to and from recently built structures, are what caused the road to deteriorate to its present dilapidated condition.
La Romaine councillor Sheldon Lal said the Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) is aware of the situation and has been trying to assist the residents. However, he said, the corporation was limited in what it could do as Short Street is deemed a private road.
“The road is not vested with us, but in the past, the corporation always tried to see about helping people to traverse to and from work and especially school. So we were doing maintenance work hoping we could do the drains soon.”
He too said the developers who oversaw the construction of the structures are the ones who ought to repair the road.
He said that despite this, the corporation is collaborating with various state bodies to reach an amicable solution with the developers.
Questions sent to one of the developers by Newsday saw no response up to press time. However, Newsday was informed that this developer promised the affected residents that they will engage in some repair work soon.
THE Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) continues to build its disaster resilience through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programme.
Since 2018, the municipal corporation has trained and added volunteers to its emergency response framework, according to Videsh Lal, co-ordinator of the PDRC disaster management unit (DMU). About 350 have been trained in critical skills such as search and rescue, fire suppression and basic first aid.
“CERT is really a community training programme in which we have recognised that within the first 48 hours (of a disaster) people would more or less be alone before first responders arrive.”
He added: “The first responders will become inundated with calls, communication routes via the roads will be blocked, power lines, fallen trees, so we are really trying (to get) people to be prepared for these 48 hours until the official help comes.”
With this knowledge, he said, volunteers would be able to help themselves and their communities in times of crisis.
On August 7, some 70 of its latest trainees participated in a real-world simulation of a disaster at the Francis Seepaul Recreation Ground, Debe, putting the knowledge amassed during the 40-hour programme to the test. The simulation featured downed trees, fires, floods via a water truck and a host of medical emergencies.
Lal said attendees came from areas across the municipality like Wellington Gardens, La Romaine, Barrackpore and Penal Rock Road.
According to its website, about 60 per cent of its municipality falls within the Oropouche watershed, and almost 90 per cent is rural areas. It is especially susceptible to flooding. Lal said the additional manpower through the CERT programme helps to bolster response as the DMU has fewer than ten staffers at any given point in time. He noted that the entire municipal corporation staff are redirected to emergency response when a disaster arises, but the additional bodies will help.
“This really helps to build capacity in the region. It helps people to help themselves and their DMU and by extension their community to be more resilient, and if not, to at least if not help other people, to help themselves when a disaster happens.”
He said the programme has helped increase individual awareness among residents on the importance of being prepared for such disasters.
Among the cadre participating in the simulation on August 5 was an aspiring accountant Bibi Khadija Ali, 17, of St Mary’s, Moruga. She said she enrolled in the CERT training with the encouragement of her parents, especially as her community typically floods.
“It’s a good training to encourage yourself with as a youth and to encourage other youths in my community.”
She said she particularly enjoyed and appreciated the basic first aid training.
“It was a really great experience. I would encourage a lot of young people to get involved in these things because it would help develop you as a person.”
Tally Mohammed, 61, of Wellington Gardens, said he was previously CERT trained but joined the current tranche to refresh his skills.
“I have a passion for helping people. Based on that I’ve made the decision to continue to be part of it.”
He added: “I would encourage everybody to go ahead and be a part of this and be a part of the training so that we can provide that kind of support in the community for those who are vulnerable to disasters.”
The Ministry of Housing, the Sustainable Climate Resilience Initiative, the TT Red Cross Society and the Fire Service were all part of the training with the PDRC.
WITH the discontinuation of the adverse weather alert on June 13, chairman of the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) Gowtam Maharaj is optimistic, as floodwaters were receding and conditions improving.
“Today, the rivers were high, but we had a low tide around 11 am. The rain eased up a little bit. We are optimistic that we will make it through. We should be good if all parametres stay as is. That is our projection, ” Maharaj told Newsday.
“The streets are cleared, but there had been residential flooding yesterday.”
An excavator clears the major drain at Aquart Village along Penal Rock Road, Penal on June 13. – Photo by Innis Francis
Some of the affected areas include low-lying areas at Chester Street and Seuradge Trace, both in Debe, as well as Clark Road and Lachoos Road in Penal.
Maharaj added that at Golconda Settlement, strong winds blew the roof off a house.
“We are making arrangements and are working in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Development to see if we could find a temporary shelter for the family until the house can be restored.”
The chairman said he was working alongside the corporation’s disaster management unit, and they had distributed food, hampers, mattresses, and sandbags to affected residents.
Meanwhile, in Woodland, fishermen were seen tending to their nets near the Sudama Teerath site close to the swollen South Oropuche River.
Fishermen clear their nets of debris at the South Oropouche River at La Fortune Pluck Road in Woodland, after consistent rainfalls caused river banks in the area to burst on June 13. – Photo by Innis Francis
There were minor accumulations of water along the roadways, and no severe flooding was reported.
Mayor of the Siparia Borough Corporation, Doodnath Mayhroo, confirmed: “We have not had any severe flooding in this region. Our watercourses are filled and on the brink of bursting their banks. We do not have people affected. If the rain continues, we might be in trouble.”
The Met Office discontinued an adverse weather alert, downgrading it to green earlier in the day at 10.20 am.
The threat of heavy showers and thunderstorm activity had significantly decreased over Trinidad and Tobago, but some offshore activity was still ongoing.
The update said some major rivers were still at high levels but these levels are slowly declining.
COMMUTERS in Penal had their journeys temporarily delayed due to flash street flooding on June 11 but the Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) chairman has credited the waters’ quick recession to recent mitigation plans.
The streets were inundated by an intense but brief downpour shortly before midday following a night of rainfall. Several parts of Penal Rock Road were rendered near impassable for low vehicles like cars and wagons.
Many drivers pulled aside as they plotted their next steps. Some were emboldened to follow behind brave motorists who decided to risk driving their cars through the water while others turned back, hoping to find an alternate route.
“Nah don’t study it, that water would go down in 15/20 minutes,” one resident shouted to the Newsday team which was among motorists marooned by the quickly rising waters.
Without the risk of causing expensive damage to a vehicle, some pedestrians chose to walk through the floods while at least one was spotted hopping on the back of a truck to get a lift through the deluge.
This man takes a lift on the back of a panel van to get to his destination along Penal Rock Road on June 11. – Photo by Innis Francis
The floods also prompted the South West Regional Health Authority to close the Rock Road Health Centre at 1 pm.
PDRC chairman Gowtam Maharaj said parts of Clarke Road and Clarke Rochard Road also experienced similar flooding. He credited the speedy recession of the water to mitigation work enacted under the new UNC administration upon taking office last month.
The Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government launched its flood mitigation exercise on May 13 and focused on the cleaning, dredging and clearing of watercourses throughout the country.
Several of the watercourses within the PDRC catchment have been a part of this, using larger machinery which Maharaj said the corporation had been requesting over the years. He said the exercises are also still ongoing.
“It’s a very compound exercise. It’s a very integrated exercise. It is all supported by every member of Parliament, instructed by the Prime Minister.
“So it has the political will, I call it, I see is the major difference. One may ask why this beautiful result did not come earlier and people had to suffer the trauma. Of course, it requires what I call the political will.”
These two men from the nearby service station clear a path from the sidewalk to the drains for the water to flow into at Morne Diablo junction on June 11. – Photo by Innis Francis
While most of the flooding was limited to low-lying parts of roads, some nearby residents unfortunately faced water entering their homes.
One such area which saw residents impacted was the Old Quinam Road, Rock Road. The first two houses on the street reported having a few inches of water enter their homes as they breached their defences.
Vijay Bhim told Newsday this was a normal occurrence for them since the empty land was mined. He said this causes all the water to flow across the Penal Rock Road, onto their street and homes. Newsday witnessed the occurrence during the downpour as water crossed the main road and flowed down into the lower Old Quinam Road which lay a few feet lower.
“Anytime we go anywhere and we see rain we have to leave and come home,” his mother, who did not give her name, said.
Bhim said they had a few inches of water inside the house and their water pump was broken by the flood.
His neighbour, Andell Cudjoe, said their councillor Shanti Boodram has been helping them by getting a waterway behind their homes cleaned to help the water flow out faster. But now he believes it’s time for infrastructure development.
“But it’s only so much you could do. The water that coming from across there, these drains (along the Old Quinam Road) can’t accommodate.”
While not aware of the specific situation, Maharaj said the corporation was aware of complaints about mining in the burgess and is investigating the reports.
“Any activity being done, albeit private, our position is, and I am supported by law is there should not be an inconvenience as a result of one’s activity. So we’ve actually started investigations into two of such mining that we have. We are supportive of people doing mining in their private land but there must be no consequence that is detrimental to other members of the community.”
Flood waters pushed away sandbags and entered the homes and cars of some residents at One Mile Penal Rock Road, Penal, on June 11. – Photo by Innis Francis
Maharaj said there were also reports of downed trees which the corporation’s Disaster Management Unit (DMU) responded to and were assisted by T&TEC and the fire service.
The recent rainfall was the result of the passage of a tropical wave across both islands. As a result, the TT Met Office issued an adverse weather alert which went into effect at 2 am June 10 and was expected to end at 4 pm on June 11. However, it was extended to 4 pm on June 12.
The office said settling was expected overnight but there was a medium (60 per cent) chance for periodic heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms to return during the early morning of June 12.
It warned there was an increased risk of street flooding and landslides/landslips, particularly in areas with saturated soils.
It said while major rivers were below significant thresholds, they were steadily rising as a result of recent rainfall.
The Met Office urged those in flood and landslide-prone areas to remain alert, take precautions where necessary and monitor official updates.
OFFICIALS are still doing assessments but heavy traffic, inundated homes and impassable roads are leading some residents of Rock Road, Penal to describe flooding on November 12 as some of the worst they’ve experienced.
Sustained, heavy downpours on the day left many parts of Penal, Barrackpore and Woodland submerged in water. Rock Road, Penal was among the hardest hit, with water up to four feet deep in some areas.
Floods reportedly receded by 2 am on November 13 and many residents wasted no time in starting clean-up. Some continued into the morning.
Shortly before midday at Goodman Trace Asavari Gooberdhan, 31, a private preschool owner and entrepreneur, was busy trying to salvage what she could at her home business, which was knee-deep in water.
While she had not yet done an assessment, she believes her losses are “in the thousands.”
“A lot of furniture damaged, appliances…here is not just a school, I also have a mini-business, and a lot of the goods was lost.
“I also have a game-rental business and everything was lost.”
Her brother Anil, 36, described the disaster as the worst flood they had ever experienced.
He runs a car-detailing business and lost his pressure washer, among other items.
No strangers to the phenomenon, as the area is prone to flooding, they said measures were put in place over the years to minimise losses. However, November 12’s floods trumped most of their countermeasures.
“Every time we try to have preventative measures, it just keeps getting worse. I know flooding is a natural disaster, but at the same point in time we can do things, the government (and) the regional corporation could do things to reduce the impact. The major rivers have not been properly dredged and the banks of the rivers have not been properly reinforced.”
A video posted on social media taken just a few feet from their home showed the height of the floods as a tractor towed a car through water which covered its bonnet and rose to the windshield.
WASA supplies pipe-borne water to Rock Road
Armed with a pressure washer on the morning of November 13, Deva Seenath, 50, said he began cleaning at his Rock Road home at 4 am, three hours after the water receded. He said he could not wait until a pipe-borne supply was sent to begin the clean-up.
“Today, all them tanks and them I going to finish it out on this yard. We have no choice.”
Residents wade through floodwaters on Lachoos Road, Penal on November 13. – Photo by Lincoln Holder
“That mud going to stick. That mud going to come like paint. You see the condition of that?”
A similar sentiment was shared by the Gooberdhans, who said they hardly received a regular supply under good circumstances.
“It’s past the peak of the rainy season and we are still under a water schedule from WASA where we receive water two days every three weeks. On a normal, that’s not sufficient, and especially now, where we need that clean water to help clean and have the place back up to a standard.
“We don’t have a choice. We can’t live like this. Remain in this stench?”
Many parts of south and central Trinidad were on adjusted water-supply schedules from the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) owing to a planned shutdown of the Desalination Company of TT (Desalcott) until November 17 for maintenance work.
Acting CEO Kelvin Romain said last week the 40 million gallons per day shortfall amounts to 40 per cent of the water supplied to the region. He said production would have been ramped up at plants to compensate, but the schedule adjustment and prudent consumer usage were needed to ensure the already lower-than-average reservoirs did not run dry.
An update on WASA’s Facebook page said as of November 7, the Caroni/Arena reservoir was at 51.7 per cent, the Hollis reservoir at 57.17 per cent and the Navet reservoir at 48.15 per cent. The long-term averages for the period are between 81 and 82 per cent.
Despite this constraint, Romain told Newsday on November 13 that some supply from its Navet Water Treatment Plant was diverted to the three-and-a-half mile marker of Penal Rock Road to assist in clean-up operations. This, he said, would benefit areas like Mulchan Trace, Semungal Trace, Penal Rock Road and surrounding areas. He said the supply would be sustained for 24 hours.
Waters still rising in some areas
While floods receded along Rock Road and its immediate environs, many westward parts like further inside Goodman Trace remained inundated, impassable by anything other than high vehicles.
The water migrating from the flooded areas out to sea was stopped by the rising tide, causing tributaries to overflow. This led to flooding downstream in Suchit Trace, Gopie Trace and Batchyia Branch Trace by Wednesday morning. With only high vehicles able to pass, this forced most drivers onto the main road, resulting in heavy traffic.
Also affected were the scantily populated Pluck Road, Woodland and environs, which were under around a foot of water at the time Newsday visited. Those living near the road looked on as the waters made their way into their property. One man, who did not want to be identified, told Newsday he was fed up of the floods, which he suffered up to five times annually.
“My 80-year-old mother-in-law never had to go through this as a child, but have to face it now in she old age,” he said.
The man said they had pleaded tirelessly for proper drainage in the area but lamented nothing had been done.
Schools reopen amidst floods
Despite rising waters on both days, schools in the affected communities reopened on November 13.
Up to 8 am on November 13, gates were open at the Penal Presbyterian Primary School, Penal Vedic Primary School, Suchit Trace Hindu School, Penal Secondary School and Penal Convent.
But noticeably missing were the traffic and scores of students entering the schools. Sources at one school told Newsday there was an estimated 12.5 per cent student attendance.
The Kubairsingh Penal Rock Hindu School remained closed, as about a foot of water remained on the road.
TT Unified Teachers Association president Martin Lum Kin condemned the Ministry of Education’s slow approach to dismissing schools on November 12 amidst the downpour and rising water which forced many students and parents to wade through the floodwaters to get home.
“Schools had to wait hours to get permission from the Ministry of Education to dismiss school.”
Asavari and Anil Goberdhan walk among items damaged by flooding at their kindergarten school, Bridge to Success Academy, on Goodman Trace, Penal, on November 13. – Photo by Lincoln Holder
“This incident highlights, once again, the Ministry of Education’s attempt to micromanage schools. Persons who are in their ivory towers on St Vincent Street, Education Towers, and who have no idea as to what is taking place in the various communities want to once again micromanage schools.”
He said section 27 of the Education Act gives principals the authority to dismiss schools, independent of the ministry’s input, in the interest of health and safety.
“The Ministry of Education is once again playing with the lives of educators and students.”
Newsday was unable to get a response from Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly.
PDRC assisting affected residents
The Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) stepped in on November 12 to help transport stranded students and workers through the floods and to their homes in the Rock Road area. Chairman Gowtam Maharaj said the corporation transported about 1,000 people in 25 trips between 3 pm and 8 pm.
In an interview with Newsday outside the Siparia MP’s office, Maharaj was unable to give a breakdown of how many homes were affected and the extent of damage, as assessments were still ongoing. However, he said crews were in Mulchan Trace, Seemungal Trace and Goodman Trace helping residents clean up.
“We are providing the labour, the pumps and other machinery to be able to assist these residents.”
He said while the corporation was using its ten-day contracted workforce for this, they required additional hands from government authorities and supplies.
He said there were projects under the various ministries, including Rural Development and Local Government, Works and Transport and Agriculture, which, if executed, could help mitigate flooding in the municipality.
On November 12 Maharaj declared the affected areas a “disaster zone.” This prompted military vehicles to be deployed to help. He said at least three families had to be evacuated from their homes and taken to an emergency shelter in Barrackpore. The families, he said, returned home on the morning of November 13 and the shelter closed.
Rose Ramoutar washes the floor of a flood-damaged home near the 51/2 mile mark on Penal Rock Road, on November 13. – Photo by Lincoln Holder
Newsday was unable to reach the head of the Office of Disaster Management and Preparedness, retired Maj Gen Rodney Smart, for comment, but was reliably informed the TT Regiment vehicles are scheduled for relief operations on November 14 and 15 in the Penal Debe municipality.
Maharaj said the PDRC’s assets would also be on standby to assist residents along the western end of Penal as waters rose.
Newsday was unable to reach Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Faris Al-Rawi via calls or WhatsApp messages. However, a member of his staff said its equipment was also on standby to help.
Newsday was told Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) workers were also instructed to help clean up once the water subsided. In addition, the staffer said 100 hampers were sent to assist residents.
Also distributing care packages on November 13 was Opposition Leader and Siparia MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar. She boarded one of the military vehicles to distribute cleaning supplies, water and sandwiches to residents of Goodman Trace.
She was accompanied by St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen, Princes Town MP Barry Padarath, the PDRC chairman and members of the regional corporation’s council.
THE Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has diverted water from its Navet Water Treatment Plant to the three-and-a-half mile mark in Rock Road to help residents in cleanup efforts.
Acting WASA CEO Kelvin Romain told Newsday WASA had implemented the new measure to assist residents of Mulchan Trace, Semungal Trace, Penal Rock Road and surrounding areas.
Most of the flood in the Rock Road area had subsided between midnight on November 13 and midday while westward areas such as Goodman Trace and environs were still inundated.
While residents were trying to clean their homes, they lamented the lack of pipe-borne water left them with no choice but to use whatever they had saved in storage tanks.
The stored water was supposed to last until November 17, when the Desalination Company of TT (Desalcott) shutdown for routine maintenance is expected to end, residents said. This shutdown led to a 40 per cent deficit in WASA supply for South and Central Trinidad.
Armed with a pressure washer on the morning of November 13, Deva Seenath, 50, said he began cleaning around 4 am at his Rock Road home, three hours after the water receded. He said his family could not wait until a pipe-borne supply was sent to begin their cleanup.
“Today, all them tanks and them I going to finish it out on this yard. We have no choice.
“That mud going to stick. That mud going to come like paint. You see the condition of that?”
While residents of the eastern parts of Penal got relief, those along the western parts were bracing for floods as the Curamata River burst its banks due to high tide and water inflow from previously flooded regions.
As of midday Suchit Trace, Gopie Trace, Batchyia Branch Trace and environs were only passable with high vehicles.
These floods forced most vehicular traffic onto the SS Erin Main Road leading to heavy traffic for motorists.
Floods rose due to heavy rain on November 12 brought on by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone. Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) chairman Gowtam Maharaj told Newsday around 1,000 workers and students had to be transported to their homes in Rock Road and environs with municipal corporation trucks and dinghies between 3 pm and 2 am.
He said the PDRC’s appliances will remain on standby to assist residents of the western part of the municipality as water continues to rise. He also called on the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government to do much-needed infrastructural work in the area to prevent these incidents. Maharaj said assessments were still ongoing and was unable to give a figure on how many homes were affected.
CHAIRMAN of the Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) Gowtam Maharaj made a stirring call for government to focus on youth development and employment in the next budget presentation.
“We must take care of our young people, because there is an unavoidable and inextricable link to poverty and crime,” he said at the final UNC pre-budget consultation in Penal on August 21.
“When you are unemployed, when you are in poverty, when you don’t know where the next meal is coming from, ideas form in your head.
“One of the most graphic examples of this is of the mother who stole school books. No one is saying that it was a right action, but when you look at the motive – wanting her child to go to school – and she has no money, no avenues opening up to her, this is what happens.”
The budget consultations were organised by the UNC to engage the public for recommendations and suggestions for incorporation in its budget presentation.
The final meeting was held at the Siparia constituency office of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in Penal.
Maharaj also made a case for the establishment of an apprenticeship programme in the region to benefit youths not academically inclined, while pointing to a correlation between unemployment and escalating crime.
“What pains me most,” he told the audience at Penal, “is that in one weeks’ time, the registrar at the PDRC will be opened for people to come in and register for jobs.
“Do you know the numbers we have reached in recent times? Five hundred, yes, 500 persons – men, women, children, single mothers – who would show up at the PDRC doors, waiting in a long line, with the hope of getting at least one ten-days job.”
He said the unemployment figure had drastically increased owing to the lack of job opportunities in the district.
“It is no secret that some of the major employers have closed their doors, putting employees, who have families to take care off, on the breadline.”
He pointed to the closure of former State-owned Petrotrin, which had operations in the Penal district and with it, the shutting down of the apprenticeship programme.
“What social impact assessment has been done to take care of all these employees, their families and their children who have become victims of that closure? None, none, none.”
That closure, he said, has trickled down to roti shops and other small businesses which would have serviced Petrotrin, forcing their closure as well.
“Tied to that, is the fact that the mainstream education system in this region and throughout TT is focused on academics.
“My budget submission, therefore, is that we must have an apprenticeship programme reopened in this region.”
He referred to UNC plans that were scrapped, to expand on a mariner operation, ship repairs, for training of young people to contribute to this valuable, income earning sector.
He said a National Energy Skills Centre (NESC) programme in Debe was shut down by the current administration and a MIC Institute of Technology programme running at Clarke Road, Penal could be boosted to offer programmes in the hospitality and tourism sector.
“We have booming mechanics in Penal, where young people could be trained. We have big names in hairstyling, an example from Mohess Road of Joy’s Roti Shop which is not a big concern in Florida.
“We have the capability, we just need the government to nurture it, open an apprentice programme and take care of the youths.”
THE country continues to grapple with a spike in dengue fever cases and on August 9, the Health Ministry confirmed two more deaths, bringing the figure to eight.
The ministry’s latest update said there were 712 laboratory-confirmed cases, an increase of 46 compared to the previous day’s update of 666.
Yet again, the ministry reminded the public that the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito may spread dengue.
To combat this this disease, the ministry and the 14 municipal corporations have been urging people to do their part to stop the breeding cycle of mosquitoes.
These include cutting down and removing all bush or undergrowth that can harbour mosquitoes as well as disposing of all unwanted articles, derelict vehicles or appliances in the yard or environs.
On August 7, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government announced its campaign to clean up vacant lots across the country to help stop the spread of the dengue virus.
The ongoing Cut and Clear initiative will see CEPEP workers carrying out clean-up exercises at two regional corporations weekly.
The programme started with the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) and the San Fernando City Corporation from August 5 to 9.
The next targeted corporations are the Diego Martin and Chaguanas Borough Corporations from August 12 to 16.
On August 9, PDRC chairman Gowtam Maharaj told Newsday that the corporation was doing its best to prevent the spread of the virus.
He said the corporation submitted a list of hundreds of lots to cut and clean. He did not yet have a figure to confirm how many were done, but he presumed that all were not done.
The corporation continues its dyna fogging schedule; workers have sprayed 12,000 households so far.
Maharaj added, “We do not have one hymnbook, per se, that we are reading from in this dengue management, which is supposed to come from the Health Ministry. We do not have a handbook from the ministry saying the chemical treatment we are using should not be used or should be upgraded.”
The chairman charged that mosquito control has to be in cycles, and dynafogging is an adult knock-down mechanism. This means that while the adult mosquitos are killed, the eggs remain, allowing hatching to still take place.
He believes the dengue figures are higher than what the ministry has been reporting.
Maharaj added, “If you have the right data, you will be able to have the right treatment plan. We have not been furnished with a treatment plan, an integrated insect vector management plan, as yet.”
“We did a survey in a particular community, and the numbers we got are in conflict with what is being shared. In what is being recorded as official, figures from private practitioners are not factored in.”
The corporation also continues with its clean-up operations.
“The ministry is saying we have to clean up and that definitely should be done. Because of the severity of the situation, the central government should put more resources into this particular region and work with the corporation in a real way, not in a PR-oriented way.”
Raymond Cozier, the chairman of the Mayaro/ Rio Claro Regional Corporation, told Newsday that he had no information on the Cut and Clear programme.
“No one has officially contacted us on that. No official communication was made to us. Last week, I sent a letter to an official from CEPEP asking about it. To date, I have had no response,” Cozier said.
Cozier added that the corporation workers continued to do site visits in the region to mensure that burgesses did not have breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
“We tell people to get rid of anything that can cause mosquitoes to breed. We are also engaged in bulk waste removal. We are liaising with the Insect Vector Division.”
Another statement from the Health Ministry on August 9 clarified the process for reporting confirmed cases and deaths related to dengue fever.
It said when someone is admitted to the hospital with suspected dengue fever, a blood sample is collected for testing to confirm the presence of the virus.
In cases where a patient with suspected fever dies, a sample is also taken for confirmation.
All samples, whether from suspected cases or deaths, are sent to the Trinidad Public Health Laboratory (TPHL), which then takes them to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) laboratory for analysis.
The statement added, “The testing process can have a turnaround time of up to two weeks. Therefore, the ministry can only confirm dengue cases and deaths once a positive laboratory result is received from CARPHA.”
Warning signs and symptoms
The ministry urged the public to seek medical attention promptly if they display any warning signs of dengue fever.
These include a drop in body temperature, intense and continuous abdominal pain, bleeding from gums or nose, blood in vomit, urine or stool, persistent vomiting and dizziness.
Symptoms appear within five-six days of being bitten and last for one-two weeks.
The symptoms include fever, diarrhoea, nausea/ vomiting, muscle and joint pains, pain behind the eyes, skin rash and headaches (sometimes severe).
Gregory Quan Kep, the acting principal of St Benedict’s College in La Romaine, has praised the community’s residents and the college’s founder for their contributions to academics and sports.
He spoke at the African Emancipation Day celebrations on August 1, in which the school, in collaboration with the community and the Penal/ Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC), unveiled a “wall of inspiration.”
The concrete wall at the front of the college at the Southern Main Road showcased several photos of the community and nation’s icons.
Those include past pupil and professional basketballer Adrian Joseph, school founder/ Benedictine monk Dom Basil Matthews and cricket legend Brian Charles Lara.
“La Romaine has a lot of talent. The people and students are very talented academically, in sports, and in all different ways, and they need opportunities. This wall is a wall of motivation to inspire them, to inspire the community to greatness, to excellence.”
In paying tributes to the school’s founder, Quan Kep added: “Dr Dom Basil Mattews was the first black Catholic priest (in TT).”
Quan Kep said the college continues with Matthews’ vision to create all-rounded students who are built up academically and spiritually in sports, visual and performing arts, music, drama, etc.
PDRC chairman Gowtam Maharaj said La Romaine is love and called on the Government to do its part to uplift people.
Saying there were stigmas attached to La Romaine youths, he suggested a vocation centre be built so the youths could make the best use of their time.
“My call is for a trade school. La Romaine is near the foreshore, and it means they can learn aspects of shipping operations, rigging, and rostering about work and catering. We can open a hospitality school so the youths can get involved,” Maharaj said.
Joseph, the basketball player who was among the icons on the wall, recalled his childhood days playing sports in the community.
Although a past college pupil, he said he dropped out of school in form five and did not write CXC exams.
However, when he migrated to the USA, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in forensic anthropology at the University of Virginia. He also pursued a basketball career and played in the US, Europe, the Middle East and throughout the Caribbean.
Joseph said he was back home and giving back to the community, particularly the children.
He is the founder and head coach of the Advanced Genetics Sports and Cultural Club. He said he had six students on scholarships in the US.
Businessman, past student, and resident Ronald “Ron” Samaroo also spoke at the event opposite the school.
He said the Wall of Inspiration project held a special place in his heart.
He thanked the local business community for its invaluable support.
“Their generous contributions ensured that we received full funding for this venture. The collaboration between St Benedict’s College, the corporation and our local businesses has been truly inspiring,” Samaroo said.
“This collective effort underscores the strength of community spirit and the power of working together towards a common goal.”
He added that the purpose of the wall of inspiration is to inspire the youths of La Romaine to envision and strive for a brighter future.
Samaroo added: “It stands as a beacon of hope, guiding our young people away from crime and breaking the cycle that has plagued our communities.”
THE Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) is asking Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi, SC, to assist it in getting outstanding money it needs to deal with dengue within its jurisdiction.
La Fortune/Debe North councillor Krishna Persadsingh made this request at a news conference at the PDRC’s office in Debe on Thursday.
Persadsingh, chairman of the PDRC’s physical infrastructure committee, claimed the corporation did not receive its full allocations for uniforms, materials and supplies and short-term employment for the current financial year to help it address public health matters such as dengue.
Information provided by Persadsingh showed the PDRC was allocated $200,000, $275,000 and $2,000 for the purchase of uniforms, the purchase of chemicals and equipment parts and short-term employment of workers for public health purposes.
He said to date, the corporation has received releases of $62,685, $56,127 and $1,225 for each of these areas.
“These are with ten weeks to go in the current financial year. That is 80 per cent of the financial year completed and no real releases to tackle the public health issues with a shortfall of $1,131,188.”
Persadsingh also said the corporation was only allocated $11,500,000 in its development budget for building drains and culverts.
He claimed none of this money had been released to the PDRC.
“The PDRC is again stifled to address drainage issues. The impact is twofold. Firstly, mosquito breeding grounds and secondly, flooding.”
Persadsingh also claimed that 99 watercourses within the Penal/Debe area have not been maintained or cleaned. He said these water courses fall under the purview of the Works and Transport Ministry.
Despite these challenges, he continued, the PDRC is doing its best to tackle dengue in the area.
“The PDRC, led by chairman Gowtam Maharaj, has developed a vigorous schedule targeting 1,000 households daily for fogging in an effort to prevent further spread of the disease and death.”
Persadsingh said the corporation has also written to Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram requesting information from the Health Ministry’s surveillance unit to make informed decisions for its dengue control efforts.
He expressed concern about a recurrence of flooding in the area in the coming days and a possible increase in dengue cases.
Persadsingh repeated calls by Maharaj to Al-Rawi, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to partner with the PDRC to tackle this problem.
Siparia Mayor Doodnath Mayhroo said the Siparia Borough Corporation (SBC) was facing similar challenges.
To date, he continued, the SBC has received reports of 275 suspected dengue cases within its jurisdiction.
He said spraying was done at 399, 512 and 840 premises in Icacos, San Francique and SS Erin Road (from Penal Quinam Road to Syne Village, Penal) to date.
Mayhroo told the media he was aware that the Health Ministry is scheduled to hold a meeting with public health officials from all 14 local government corporations on July 19.
He was hopeful there would be clear strategies developed at this meeting to deal with dengue.
Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) chairman Gowtam Maharaj believes expert agencies need to step up and help combat dengue in rural areas.
His comments came as he said Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh’s repeated advice for people to clean up around their homes would not suffice for rural communities. Maharaj said there were many properties within his district which were once used for farming and created a perfect breeding ground for the insects.
“You have to understand things in a context. When rice-growing was there, you would have had the farmers doing a bit of spraying and so on, you would have had the drains and so on. Now, that has gone. Now they are water-catchment areas. They are lying shallow. We need to have a programme. With climate change and with warmer temperatures, it’s ideal for these things.
“Some particular agency, whether it’s UWI (the University of the West Indies) or Ministry of Agriculture extension office if they are to be topped up with experts from wherever…have to come and look at those things and pronounce. Things are not happening by guess. They are happening as a result of other things.”
Maharaj said state bodies needed to make an active effort to combat the transmission of dengue. He dismissed the idea that regional corporations ought to be the forefront agency in combating dengue spread.
He said the Ministry of Health’s Insect Vector Control Division (IVCD) was supposed to take the lead and be supported by local-government bodies, but that was not happening.
“There is a serious breakdown of the collaborative effort, which is an international best practice, in handling what may be an outbreak.”
He said although the IVCD is better equipped to handle mosquito eradication, its presence had been lacking on the ground.
He said the health agencies also shared little to no information with the regional corporation to help guide its approach to combating the disease.
“The collaboration needs to begin ASAP (as soon as possible) so we can be guided properly.
“They (IVCD) have the competency, and whilst we are using manpower and so on here, we want this to be an integrated insect-vector-control programme. That is how the best practice is in the international front.”
To guide its efforts, Maharaj said the corporation depended on word-of-mouth reports. He said such anecdotal reports pointed to 11 cases in a short trace off of Rochard Road, Penal, with one person warded in ICU.
Maharaj, however, shared Deyalsingh’s view that simply spraying for the mosquitoes was not the solution. While he said it was necessary in the short term, he said a more comprehensive approach was needed and would require infrastructure development.
He said, however, the corporation had not received any of its budgetary allocation for it to perform road and drainage development.
Similarly, chairman of the Princes Town Regional Corporation Gowrie Roopnarine called for the Government to provide more funding to combat dengue which he described as a “health crisis.”
In a statement on Monday, Roopnarine asked that relevant authorities fully equip the IVCD and the regional corporation.
“Presently (sic), within the region of Princes Town, there are several active cases. While the efforts of Ms Alison M Rampersad (Health Control Officer III) are applauded, currently her division is understaffed and underfunded.
“Similarly, the Princes Town Regional Corporation is stifled for funding. As such, we are unable to assist the IVCD as previously done through the provision of vehicles, manpower and equipment in eradicating the infestation of mosquitoes within the region.”
In a statement on Monday the Caribbean Public Health Agency (Carpha) called for community-based mosquito control measures to be ramped up amidst a marked increase in dengue cases in the region.
The Americas have seen a 200-fold increase in suspected dengue cases in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. Carpha said member states were encouraged to remain vigilant.
“It is crucial that surveillance, prevention and control measures are boosted to reduce the transmission of arboviruses (diseases spread by insect bites) in the Caribbean.”
Assistant director of surveillance, disease prevention and control, and head vector-borne diseases at Carpha Dr Horace Cox urged countries to strengthen integrated vector-management strategies in their communities.
“These include the elimination of mosquito breeding sites with the aim of reducing the number of mosquito larvae.”
On Sunday, South Oropouche Riverine Flood Action Group head and activist Edward Moodie blamed the increase in mosquitoes in Woodland on a saltwater incursion into 65 acres of lagoon.
He said the intrusion happened during last year’s floods when the South Oropouche River’s banks were compromised, allowing seawater into the wetlands. This, he said, killed the freshwater fish and organisms in the area, leaving mosquitoes to reproduce unabated. He now plans to reintroduce some of the mosquitoes’ natural predators like 10,000 cascadura fish back into the ecosystem to disrupt the insect’s breeding.
Opposition MP Dr Rishad Seecheran slammed the Minister of Health on Sunday over the management and prevention of dengue. However, Deyalsingh told Newsday spraying could not be over-relied on because it could lead to the insects building resistance to the chemicals as well as pose a threat to humans and animals.
Deyalsingh said that was why the population needed to focus on eliminating breeding sources around their homes, workplaces, schools and religious institutions.
Seecheran also criticised Deyalsingh for starting an education drive too late but the minister said it began in February. Seecheran, however, said the campaigns were done in malls while residents in rural communities were more at risk.
THE Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) has ramped up its mosquito-spraying exercises to curb the spread of dengue after recent rain.
Speaking to Newsday at the corporation’s disaster management unit in Debe on July 1, PDRC chairman Gowtam Maharaj said mosquito spraying will now be done twice daily.
“Even though there was no major flooding, the area itself, the topography allows for water settling. We have doubled up on our spraying and again we are also making a call for the Ministry of Health to complement what we are doing, the IVCD (insect vector control department) of the Ministry of Health to come on board, work with us and complement what we are doing to be able to bring relief to residents.”
He said the outbreak is one of the PDRC’s top priorities and it is on “red alert.”
“We are doing a morning shift with two teams and an evening shift with two teams, bearing in mind we must cover 800 streets and all of the other land spaces, and it is a lot.
“Therefore the Ministry of Health IVCD department coming on board with more resources fully would be of great help to the residents. ”
Last month, the Ministry of Health said there were 126 confirmed dengue cases across counties Caroni, Victoria and St Patrick. Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh later revealed there was one fatality in South Trinidad.
Maharaj was unable to give an exact figure for cases in his municipality but believes the number is growing.
“To give an empirical answer on the dengue situation, I will depend on the CMOH (County Medical Officer of Health) to provide data. At this point in time, we have made a documented call for data so that it can guide us and it can guide all. From the…relationship with the residents, we are getting a number of reports – people who are hospitalised or are bedridden because of the dengue.”
THE Prime minister wants the voting public to take responsibility for the candidates they vote for in the local and general elections.
Dr Rowley gave his latest public endorsement of PNM’s local government candidates on Saturday, ahead of Monday’s by-elections in the UNC-controlled Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) and Princes Town Regional Corporation (PTRC).
Speaking at the Fifth Company Baptist Primary School, Moruga, he said a vote for the UNC would not help the government advance its promise of local government reform.
“You have a second chance. Most corporations don’t have a second chance for anybody but here in Lengua/Indian Walk, you have a second chance to do right.
PNM’s Anderson Nanan and UNC’s Sarah Sookdeo will challenge Quinam/Morne Diablo, while Autly Granthume (PNM), Nicole Gopaul (UNC) and independent candidate Peterson Morales will contest the Lengua/Indian Walk district.
The districts have a combined population of nearly 17,000 combined eligible voters split almost equally.
The PM visited both districts hours apart on Saturday, addressing constituents and endorsing the PNM’s candidates.
“Mr Granthume,” Rowley said, “you and your father have a habit of cutting it close to the hedge. No more of that nonsense. We want a resounding victory that not even the UNC will question it.
“Encourage them (voters) to take some responsibility. We are appealing to the rest of the population to take responsibility.”
He said if the PNM doesn’t win the two seats “nothing will change in local government in Princes Town or Penal/Debe.”
Rowley accused the opposition-controlled municipalities of refusing to use their allocated funds but rather complaining about a lack of resources to sell a narrative of “discrimination, government incompetence and corruption.
“The only campaign they have is to bad-name the PNM and lie about the country.”
He said, unlike the Opposition, the PNM campaigns “on our policies, our programmes and our vision and our people and we want you to judge us by our record.
“Sixty-four years, and we ain’t tired yet, 64 years and we now start to develop the country, 64 years and we still the PNM.
“And when I ask you – regardless if you vote for the PNM before or not – when I ask you this time to go out and vote for the PNM candidate, I’m telling you immediately that there are benefits to be had, because your corporations will be strengthened.”
He said there was nothing to be gained by adding another UNC councillor to the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (or) the Princes Town Corporation because they “are all cut from the same cloth and will do the same thing.”
Rowley, who had earlier visited Morne Diablo, told supporters in Moruga he found that people in Morne Diablo could not get water for 15 years. Not because water wasn’t available, he said, but for a group he claimed had hijacked the water supply in the area, and others around the country, to sell it back using trucks.
“Where was (Morne Diablo’s) representation when they were being so raped? And that is what representation does. “You need somebody of quality of sincerity to stand up for you. Otherwise you will be a permanent victim, and victimhood is not a badge of honour.
In his earlier address in Quinam/Morne Diablo, the PM said he too had been victim to a “business model” to disrupt the water supply.
He said he experienced questionable water service from the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) at the PM’s residence in St Ann’s, as Morne Diablo had for years.
“I was shocked a little while ago, that in the constituency in Siparia…that something as heinous as capturing of the water supply by a small group of people – business-oriented people – who got their own resources…they sold water to victims in Penal/Morne Diablo.
“It struck me that you were not the only victims of that business model. Don’t feel too bad because the Prime Minister of TT experienced the same thing, too.
“You have to ask yourselves: how could that business model have been allowed to exist for 15 years?”
Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi says by-elections are nothing new and the PNM is always very pleased to put its candidates into the field.
He lauded the party’s two candidates for upcoming by-elections – pastor Autly Granthume for Lengua/Indian Walk and Anderson Nanan for Quinam/ Morne Diablo.
The districts fall under the Princes Town Regional Corporation and Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC). Both are UNC-controlled corporations.
Al-Rawi recalled the circumstances of the by-elections set for June 17, saying Granthume did the unthinkable.
“It shows that there is a significant appetite in the areas that you would not think. We, of course, expect some fierce competition because shame factors are in the broken UNC to be proven. But we welcome the challenge,” Al-Rawi said.
He was referring to the local government elections in August 2023 when Granthume went up against the UNC candidate, Nicole Gopaul.
Granthume initially received 1,430 votes, while Gopaul received 1,425.
At the end of the first recount, each candidate received 1,428 votes.
Al-Rawi spoke to reporters at the Southex’s FAB expo at the Gulf City Mall in La Romaine on May 17.
Al-Rawi said Nanan had served for over 24 years at the PDRC and works there as a manager.
“He is adamant that he has a very good chance, and we will be supporting him all the way. Screening at Balisier House ended last night. The screening was fantastic,” Al-Rawi said.
“For someone like him to step forward and represent the PNM says a lot. It is a corporation that is almost 100 per cent opposition-controlled, and it has always been.
“So, to have someone who comes from the establishment step forward and say, ‘I am willing to be part of the PNM,’ for us as a political party, is a big statement in a big way.”
Al-Rawi said the party was aware that certain areas were marginal, and others were considered “forgone conclusions, one way or another.”
He added, “Numbers speak for themselves. This is about democracy at work. Whatever the results are going to be, the corporations will stay the same. The status quo remains seven-seven. ”
On voter turnout, Al-Rawi expects it to be low, as has been the case in the past.
“It really is a process that is reflexive. If you wanted a dipstick that mattered, the dipstick would be what the turnout looks like, not so much the result.”
THE PNM and the UNC have started preparations for by-elections in the Lengua/Indian Walk and Quinam/Morne Diablo.
Both parties made this announcement on May 9.
In a statement, PNM general secretary Foster Cummings said the party has officially opened nominations for in both districts.
Morne Diablo/Quinam falls with the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) while Lengua/ Indian Walk is under the Princes Town Regional Corporation (PTRC).
Both corporations are controlled by the UNC.
Cummings said the nomination period runs from May 9 to 15 with screening to begin shortly afterwards.
“The PNM takes the business of the governance of Trinidad and Tobago and our country’s democracy very seriously. The PNM is committed to participating in every election, and is the only political institution that has fielded a candidate in every constituency for general election, candidates in every electoral district for local government election, and candidates for every Tobago House of Assembly election.”
Contacted via Whatsapp, UNC chairman Davendranath Tancoo said, “As a fully democratic party, we will soon open the nominations for both local government by election seats and proceed with screening applicants to ensure the best candidate will be selected to represent the burgesses in those areas.”
Tancoo claimed that Government has not called the dates for these by elections because “they too know that we will win.”
He reiterated that the UNC is also doing significant work in preparing for next year’s general election.
Tancoo said, “We are confident that we will win based on our current level of readiness.”
The issue of the by elections was also raised at a news conference at UNC headquarters in Chaguanas on May 9.
UNC vice-chairman Khadijah Ameen scoffed at Cummings’ announcement of PNM preparations for those elections.
PNM general secretary Foster Cummings, also the Youth Development and National Service Minister, during the opening of a recreation ground in Talparo on March 2. – Photo by Ayanna Kinsale
“We don’t care about PNM business. We want to know when is the election date.”
Ameen expressed confidence that the UNC would retain the the Quinam/Morne Diablo district.
She made no comment about Lengua/Indian Walk
PTRC chairman Gowrie Roopnarine and PDRC chairman Gowtam Maharaj asked when their respective corporations will be properly constituted by having elected councillors for Lengua/Indian Walk and Quinam/Morne Diablo respectively.
In March, the Court of Appeal dismissed a petition by the UNC to stop a by-election in Lengua/Indian Walk.
Justices of Appeal Charmaine Pemberton, Vasheist Kokaram and Carla Brown-Antoine held that a disputed ballot, favouring then UNC candidate Nicole Gopaul-Jones in the August 2023 local government elections, could not be counted because of the failure of the Elections and Boundaries Commission’s returning officer to initial it.
The judges dismissed the UNC’s election petition. They ruled the election rules under the Representation of the People Act allowed for the rejection of the special ballot.
The UNC filed the petition on August 21, 2023, after two recounts led to the PNM’s candidate Autly Granthume being announced the winner over Gopaul-Jones on election night, August 14, 2023.
Granthume initially received 1,430 votes compared to Gopaul-Jones’s 1,425. At the end of the first recount, each candidate received 1,428 votes.
The returning officer rejected a special ballot in favour of Gopaul-Jones – which would have broken the tie.
Quinam/Morne Diablo was declared vacant after the death of its UNC councillor Diptee Ramnath last December.
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is warning citizens to be wary of private water trucks which have been supplying customers with unsafe and untreated water in South Western Trinidad.
In a release on March 31, WASA said it received reports of private water trucks filling from the washout of the authority’s wellfields, particularly the Siparia, Scotts Road and Morne Diablo well fields.
“The authority wishes to advise that this activity is illegal and critically, the water taken from washouts is untreated and unsafe for potable use, without undergoing the necessary treatment process to remove harmful pathogens.
“Members of the public are therefore advised of the inherent health risks associated with purchasing truck-borne water from private water contractors,” it said.
The warning comes a week after Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales blew the lid on a multi-million-dollar water- trucking racket in Morne Diablo.
The scheme involved private water trucks and an ex-WASA turncock— someone who opens and closes the supply off the mains.
It is alleged the parties were deliberately locking off residents’ water. They would then extract water from the Scotts Road well and charge the residents $300 to deliver a truckload.
Two weeks ago, the Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) convened an urgent statutory meeting after 28 communities and hundreds of residents within its district experienced water woes.
Chairman Gowtam Maharaj claimed the corporation had not received any of its $700,000 budget allocation for water-trucking service.
In early March, three WASA employees were suspended after Kernahan Village residents protested, claiming they had not received a supply in almost three months.
Gonzales ordered an investigation and, if claims of a racket were found to be true, he promised: “Heads will roll.”
As a result of this recent development, the authority said it has ramped up security patrols at its wellfields and is reviewing the facilities’ security infrastructure.
It advised anyone who observes these practices or has information to call its security department at 662-2318.
It further said all authorised water delivery trucks have the authority’s logo and the service is freely available on request via its WASA services app, customer portal or by contacting the toll-free call centre at 800-4420/26.
THE Opposition UNC has not had any official talks on a by-election for the Morne Diablo/Quinam district in the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC).
UNC chairman Davendranath Tancoo made this comment on Friday.
He also said the party’s preparations for that by-election may not be influenced by any appeal by the party over the High Court’s dismissal of the election petition for the Lengua/Indian Walk district, which falls under the Princes Town Regional Corporation (PTRC).
Justice Marissa Robertson dismissed the UNC’s election petition on Thursday.
The UNC filed the petition on August 21, after two recounts which led to PNM candidate Autly Granthume’s being announced the winner over the UNC’s Nicole Gopaul-Jones on election night, August 14.
Granthume initially received 1,430 votes compared to Gopaul-Jones’s 1,425. At the end of the first recount, each candidate received 1,428 votes.
The returning officer rejected a special ballot in favour of Gopaul-Jones – which would have broken the tie. Her election agent and counting agent objected, but this was overruled and a second recount was done, resulting in the same deadlocked outcome.
Gopaul-Jones challenged the rejection of the ballot, insisting it was valid and ought to have been counted, which would have led to her being elected.
The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) maintained its reasoning for rejecting the ballot as required by election rules under the Representation of the People Act.
In subsequent correspondence, the EBC claimed Gopaul-Jones’s representative only objected after they realised the recount had ended in a stalemate.
It was the EBC’s position that Gopaul-Jones did not secure the majority of votes after the preliminary count and the two recounts, nor was any vote wrongly rejected. It also argued that the special ballot was correctly rejected, since it did not have the returning officer’s initials, as required by the election rules.
The UNC has signalled its intention to appeal the judgment.
The Morne Diablo/Quinam district became vacant on December 22 when its councillor, Ramnath Diptee, died. Diptee was also PDRC chairman.
UNC officials said then that the party would plan for a by-election in the new year.
On Friday, Tancoo said, “The (UNC) national executive has not had a formal discussion on the by-election for Quinam/Morne Diablo.
“Whether there is an appeal of the court’s decision re Lengua, or an election is called by the Prime Minister for one or both seats, the UNC is confident of victory in both seats, given the absolute failure of this government in every metric used to measure government performance.”
In a statement issued after the judgement on January 12, Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi said, “In accordance with our democratic principles, the PNM abides by the court process and due process and welcomes this development.”
Al-Rawi, who is also PNM PRO, added, “The timing of an election is a matter for the Honourable Prime Minister.”
One option available to Dr Rowley would be to wait until the conclusion of the Lengua/India Walk appeal and hold both by-elections on the same day.
Sources said this may be more feasible than having the two by-elections separately.
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar told new councillors and aldermen of the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) to stay on a permament election footing and demand that Government give them the resources they need to serve their burgesses.
Addressing a ceremony for the swearing in of new aldermen at the PDRC on Wednesday, Persad-Bissessar stuck to her most controversial comments during the August 14 local government elections campaign.
“We must light up the Government.”
On July 29, a female homeowner shot and killed an intruder at her Chaguanas home using her husband’s licensed gun.
At a UNC meeting on July 31, referring to this incident, Persad-Bissessar said, “When the criminals invade your home, draw your licensed firearm and light them up! Empty the whole clip and reload too. Fight fire with fire.”
At a subsequent meeting San Fernando on August 3, she said, “You have to load up your (auto) ‘matic and then knock it on them again and again.”
At another meeting in San Fernando on August 12 , two days before the local government elections, Persad-Bissessar took that call to the next level.
“Empty the clip in the voting booth!”
On August 4, the Council for Responsible Political Behaviour said Persad-Bissessar had breached the code of ethical conduct with her July 31 “light them up” comment.
The council said this comment was “inappropriate and insensitive” in the context of a society besieged by crime and violence. “The language used on political platforms should be tempered to reduce societal violence.”
The council also said the Prime Minister, former UNC chairman Jack Warner and UNC senator Anil Roberts breached the code on different occasions during the campaign, by using inappropriate language.
Persad-Bissessar told PDRC councillors and aldermen that things would get worse in TT after the elections.
“We now have to up the ante because things are broken in our land.”
She reiterated claims that UNC-controlled local government corporations did not have sufficient municipal police officers to provide adequate security in communities under their jurisdictions.
“We must light up the Government to get the resources to get more municipal police officers.”
She urged PDRC councillors and aldermen to stay on the ground during their four-year term in office.
New PDRC chairman Diptee Ramnath shared her view.
He said, “General elections will be called at any time.”
Ramnath added that PDRC stood out amongst the seven corporations retained by the UNC in the elections.
“This corporation is considered the crown jewel of the UNC.”
He promised that as chairman, the PDRC would continue to be the best-performing corporation in terms of delivery of goods and services to its people.
Outgoing chairman Dr Allen Sammy urged PDRC councillors and aldermen, “Let’s continue to rise to the occasion. He thanked Persad-Bissessar for the opportunity to serve as chairman over the last four years.
Sammy said he did his best to help Penal/Debe to become one of the best places in TT to live, work and enjoy leisurely activities.
