RADHICA DE SILVA
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Surrounded by a network of rivers, the lush community of Woodland once fed thousands of families across south Trinidad during the pre-Independence era. Back then, villagers reared livestock and supplied milk through the Pluck Road depot along with ghee, butter, and dahee (yoghurt). Rice grew abundantly and freshwater fish was in constant supply.
Today, the community is in shambles. Imprisoned in their homes by violent crime, villagers said they are at the mercy of drug dealers, smugglers, and gun runners. Many youths have become enslaved by drugs and alcohol. Poverty and unemployment levels are high and annual flooding has left families devastated.
So what has been responsible for this transformation?
President of the Pluck Road Village Council Roland Binda believes the problems began when vast acres of agricultural lands became barren because of saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Paria during the late 1960s.
He said in 1962, the New Cut Channel was dug across the lagoon to drain the Oropouche Basin. However, successive government's failed to desilt the watercourse. The floodgates started to malfunction so that by the late 1960s, the river began overflowing its banks and salt water from the Gulf of Paria started entering the lush farmlands.
"Back then Woodland produced over 400,000 pounds of rice. When the salt water came in, people could no longer plant rice," Binda said.
Binda said in the late 1990s the Government tried to resuscitate the rice industry with the hope that the Woodland plains could offer rice for domestic consumption. As one of the rice seed producers, Binda said they worked towards a target of becoming totally self-sufficient by 2002.
"We needed over one million pounds of rice to feed the entire population. Farmers were double cropping," he said. However, the lands were not fit for rice production and the experiment failed.
"About five years ago, we again tried to produce rice but we were not successful. With the rebuilding of the floodgates, the lands are coming back. There is a lot of flushing out that has to be done. There are pumps by the gates and once these pumps are operating, the salt water will not enter," Binda explained.
Out of 14 pumps, only seven were functioning. Binda believes the lands are being restored and once the gates are functioning properly, the lands could be put to productive agricultural use once again.
$30 M to repair flood gates
Works Minister Rohan Sinanan told Guardian Media that $30 million has been allocated to repair and maintain floodgates over a three-year period. He said this programme covers all floodgates in T&T, not just in Oropouche.
'Venezuelan contraband is mashing us up'
The Oropouche River and the New Cut Channel which are in need of desilting have been abandoned, and the sides of the rivers shrouded by mangroves act as a camouflage for smugglers. One resident, who requested anonymity, said, "Boatloads of contraband goat, sheep and other livestock are brought through the rivers of Woodland, from the mainland of Venezuela."
Trade is brisk and despite the turmoil in Venezuela, smugglers continue to benefit from the illegal trade.
"The police know what is happening here. They know the times and places where the contraband comes in. If you want to know who is involved just look at those who drive expensive cars, live in big houses but are unemployed," the resident said.
Livestock farmer Adesh Salick said the contraband has decimated the livestock industry in T&T.
"Long time we used to sell a bull for $10,000. Now you cannot even get $4,500 for a fully grown bull because the Venezuelan animals are sold much cheaper. This Venezuelan contraband is mashing us up," he said.
Salick noted that crime has been affecting the village so badly that many people wanted to move out.
He said when he was a child most of the livestock owners in Woodland supplied milk to a depot set up by Nestle Trinidad Ltd.
"We could have earned a decent living. They shut down the depot years ago, they closed down the sugar industry and destroyed our farmlands so now it is near impossible to survive," Salick said.
"We have too much crime. The young people are into drugs. This village used to be so peaceful long time but not now."
Kyle Khan said alcoholism was also a major problem.
"In this village, you can see many young people who have gone astray because of alcohol, drugs, and gambling," Khan said. He recommended that a training facility be set up in Woodland so that youths can become involved in positive activities.
Zulikha Baig, who got married at the age of 14, said she came to Woodland 50 years ago to start a new life.
"When I came here Woodland was a paradise. People used to work together planting rice, black eye peas, bodi, watermelon, cucumber, and cakri (local cantaloupe). If you did not have something in your house, you could get it from your neighbour. People never went hungry because everyone shared whatever they had. Then the salt water started coming into the land because the floodgates were damaged and people could no longer cultivate the lands," Baig recalled.
She said this killed the agriculture industry.
Flooding destroying families
Apart from crime and unemployment, villagers said flooding has also affected their lives.
For years Woodland has been one of the communities hard hit by floods. Located at the lowest end of the Oropouche Basin, it often takes days for flood waters to subside.
Chairman of the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation Dr Allen Sammy who has done extensive research on the flooding in the Oropouche Basin, said runoff from Moruga, Barrackpore, Debe, Penal, and Diamond, flows towards Woodland after rainfall. He said millions of dollars in losses have been accrued over the past few decades.
Presenting a six-point plan to address flooding in the Oropouche Basin, Sammy recommended desilting of all rivers and tributaries in the area. He also called for the compilation of flood data, education awareness, legislation, a re-vegetation programme and the construction of watercourse catchments to reduce flooding.
"In 1987, former government minister John Humphrey compiled data and had resounding success as there was no major flooding over the subsequent two-year period. He utilised idle equipment to clean the rivers," Sammy said.
He also noted that a revegetation programme of the hillsides should also be done which includes the planting of mixed fruit trees, shrubbery and the reintroduction of disappearing plant species.
"Vegetative covers slow down the water runoff, can contribute to aquifer recharge, controls silt, encourages wildlife, builds soils, creates beauty and promotes recreational and leisure activities," he said.
He also recommended the construction of water catchments.
Noting that the Oropouche River Basin is a very important basin for the drainage of surface water in south Trinidad, Sammy said the man-made sluices must be maintained regularly to help drain the basin. He said villagers of Woodland suffer from floods annually but if precautions are taken before the rainy season, much of the suffering could be alleviated.
Tourism potential in South Oropouche
Woodland villagers also believe that their community could become one of the best spots for domestic tourism in T&T as the swamp was filled with animals, flower, and fauna.
Binda recommended that river tours be arranged to educate the citizenry about the mangroves. He said there were five islands inside the South Oropouche swamp which are virtually unknown to most citizens.
"The swamp also has the red mangroves which are a rarity in this part of the world," Binda said.
He noted that flocks of Scarlet Ibis have been living in the swamp.
"It is a beautiful place to be and it could bring in foreign exchange for T&T if marketed properly," Binda said.
Look out for a Guardian Media story on the wonders of the South Oropouche swamp soon.