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Now highway activists planting trees on route
Published:
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Activists of the Highway Re-route Movement plant trees yesterday on land designated for a $7.2 billion highway. Photo: Rishi Ragoonath
Activists of the Highway Re-route Movement have started planting trees on land designated for Government’s $7.2 billion highway. The activists said they would seek international aid for their fight against the State. They want an alternative route for the Debe to Mon Desir Highway and the relocation of Carisal, a chemical complex. Led by University of the West Indies lecturer Dr Wayne Kublalsingh, the activists planted banana trees, coconuts, pineapples, sugar apples and cassava trees on the land, which was ploughed shortly after dawn. As she planted a coconut tree, resident Ameena Mohammed said: “This is our land. We taking it back. We don’t need permission from anybody.”
Hamlet Harripersad said the Government was planning to bulldoze people’s houses and disrupt their livelihood. “We are all citizens and we are saying there are other routes this highway can take. We want to hear from our Prime Minister,” Harripersad said. He warned if contractors tried to get past their camp, there would be violence. However, Kublalsingh said his team would fight a peaceful and legal battle. He said the Highway Re-route Movement would lobby international environmental bodies to solicit support. “The Government plans to take away 1,000 acres of agricultural land and destroy 300 homes and create permanent flooding by building an embankment 5.1 miles long and eight feet high. The people built up their social, community life here so they must take back the lands,” Kublalsingh said. He said people have a duty to correct the Government if it commits an atrocity that would bring distress to citizens.
Kublalsingh said the Government had no right to disempower or dispossess citizens. Referring to Works and Infrastructure Minister Jack Warner, he said: “Jack is using $4 billion of State funds to fund the Mon Desir to Debe route. If he wants to put his own personal funds and build the highway, then fine, but he is using the State funds to disrupt people’s lives and we must stop him.” Asked to respond to Warner’s claim that he had a political agenda, Kublalsingh said while he had great respect for Warner, he would not encourage Warner to abuse the funds.“We will engage any principled politician, including the Prime Minister, members of MSJ, Mr Ramadhar and COP. We are fighting a battle and we will engage international forces,” Kublalsingh added. He said a pre-action protocol letter was being prepared and action would be filed against the State to stop the Mon Desir leg of the highway. Kublalsingh noted that T&T was part of the Ramsar Convention which protected the Nariva and Caroni swamps. However, he said he would lobby international bodies to also protect the Oropouche swamp.
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