Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner received praises from Port-of-Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing for getting the job done, while Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma received thumbs down. Lee Sing said he met with Warner on Wednesday night to discuss issues of flooding in the capital since the rainy season has started. Lee Sing said: "One thing I can say about Minister Warner is that whenever I sit with him I get a good sense that there will be progress." He was speaking with reporters after the Port-of-Spain City Corporation's monthly statutory meeting at City Hall, Knox Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
The mayor said a decision was taken to begin the process of cleaning out all the clogged underground arteries in the city and he was optimistic of that happening soon. "We know, too, that the rains are about to be upon us and one of our main water courses-the East Dry River and in particular, those parts leading directly into Piccadilly Street are still not cleaned," he said. Lee Sing called on the Ministry of Works and Transport to do what it had to in order to ensure there was not a repeat of last year's flooding.
Lee Sing said he and Warner were similar in that they liked "to get the job done."
Minister Sharma, however, was yet again severely criticised for his lack of approval for projects for the city. Lee Sing read several letters he had written to Sharma and said he was still awaiting responses.
He said: "I have been pursuing this thing meticulously and with patience."
Dog licences coming back
According to the corporation's Public Health Committee report, Lee Sing said efforts were being made to ensure there was no more erection of latrine pits in the city. He said there were more than 3,000. He said the Waste Disposal Unit was facing challenges by having its two vehicles out of commission and there was a lack of proper equipment to clean the latrine pits. "I hope the rains don't come soon," he said. The mayor also said there was an increased number of rodents in areas such as St James, Charlotte, Prince and George Streets and Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook.
He said there were still many questions surrounding the K-9 Unit given the proliferation of dogs.
Lee Sing said: "The city is moving to study at this time and to implement, first case, the reintroduction of dog licences." He said it would be a lucrative source of revenue and would require people to come forward and say where there were dogs. "If people don't come and licence the dogs, we will go and licence the dogs ourselves and collect monies at the same time," he added.