Heavy overnight rains accompanied by lightning and thunder left parts of east Trinidad flooded yesterday, resulting in several residents being stranded in their homes.Residents of Las Lomas and La Horquetta were severely hit, prompting the Office of Disaster and preparedness to tour their communities.
Gaston Richardson, whose home is located close to the riverbank at Chinese Avenue, Manuel Congo, yesterday complained that for several years the land surrounding his home has been eroding, but little intervention had been made by the authorities.
"I reach the point where it is an emergency now. We also have an NGC line close by," Richardson said of the flood waters which ravaged his community. He, however, was thankful that unlike other residents, his home was not flooded out.
"The water did not reach inside my house but if rain fell a little bit again it would have been a disaster," he added.
But La Horquetta/Talparo Member of Parliament Maxi Cuffie, who toured the flood-affected areas yesterday, said most of flooding was man-made, as homes were built too close to the river banks and in the case of Las Lomas, a water tank which was washed away had lodged under a bridge.
Cuffie said he had already organised assistance from the Ministry of Social Development and the ODPM for the few families who were hardest hit. Due to flooded roadways which became impassible, motorists were also forced to use alternative routes.
Cuffie, who said he first visited Manuel Congo, said it has a community which was prone to perennial flooding because the houses were on the banks of the Guanapo river. Saying the flooding had subsided a bit during the course of yesterday, he said damage was mostly done to residents' furniture.
At Las Lomas Number Two, Cuffie said the flooding was minimal and caused by the water tank becoming stunk under a bridge after it was washed away. But it was later removed by backhoe.
"There was one resident in that area who was particularly badly affected. I was in communication with the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation and when I was there they had already brought mattresses and other stuff to assist them," Cuffie added.
Asked if the water tank was dumped there, he said it was an area comprising newly-constructed homes but it was unlikely it was a deliberate act.
"Because it was so close to the river bank it could have flowed into the river because maybe it was no longer in use as it was empty," Cuffie said. At Pecoma Boulevard, La Horquetta, where he also toured, Cuffie said there was no extensive flooding.
Regarding how much money would have to be spent by Government in assistance, Cuffie said he could not give a figure, but said the various regional corporations already had the necessary supplies in their warehouses, including mattresses, to hand out.
On long term measures, Cuffie appealed to residents to have greater respect for the environment.
In the case of Manuel Congo, he said some of the residents had built their homes on river banks and there were also unapproved developments in the area, coupled with quarrying, which also impact on the river.
"We need to be more conscious of the environment," Cuffie urged.
EMA monitoring
Cuffie also called on the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to play a greater role in monitoring and compliance.One Las Lomas resident, who agreed with Cuffie, said much more work was needed to ensure drains and rivers were cleaned.He said it was only when places were flooded that the various authorities chose to act.
"Everybody know when is rainy season, so prepare for it," the resident, who did not want to be identified, added. The Met Office said yesterday that there was no watches or warnings at this time, as the heavy rains were part of the normal weather pattern.
It warned, however, that a few cloudy spells were still expected with light to moderate showers at times in confined areas. Heavy showers or thundershowers were also likely in a few areas mainly over western Trinidad.