The Ministry of Works is working on a comprehensive flood mitigation plan. Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said the Government has learned from last year's devastating floods and that a lot of measures have been implemented by state agencies to better prepare them for a natural disaster.
For this year, he said, the ministry has undertaken 400 projects with de-silting, clearing of watercourses, construction of retaining walls and installation of water pumps which have seen a faster water runoff whenever it rains.
He said what contributed to Greenvale's flooding a year ago was the overflowing of the Arima and Caroni Rivers.
One contract involving extensive clean up, widening and desilting of the Caroni River was $16 million.
Sinanan said several water channels throughout the country have been unable to handle the volume of rainfall.
"We do have a lot of development in the country over the last 20 to 25 years....unfortunately our infrastructure did not keep up with it."
To deal with the flooding, Sinanan said short, medium and long term plans must be developed.
"We looked at some of the flood plans and studies that were done before and we started to take out the low hanging fruits from them."
He said the CAF Development Bank will examine those studies and develop an operational plan.
"They are looking in terms of funding it for us. The bank has brought in some specialists to work with us and come up with a work programme."
This programme will soon be submitted to Cabinet.
"At the end of the day, we would have learned a lot from what happened last year. In that Greenvale area now we have emergency evacuation processes. We have smaller boats located in the Greenvale area...a lot of work went into the area. We saw the affects of it. We would have come a long way from where we were last year."
Sinanan said there was no quick fix to flooding.
HDC: Residents pleased with work undertaken
In July, the HDC received a pre-action protocol letter from affected Greenvale residents who through their attorneys cited negligence and breach of duty on HDC's part.
The letter stated the HDC was reckless and in breach of its statutory duty in constructing the development on the flood plains of the Caroni River.
81 residents are seeking costs, interest on damages, aggravated and or exemplary damages, damages for distress and anxiety, damages for personal and property and damages for devaluing of interest to their homes.
The residents stated that the HDC ignored all warnings and rejections not to construct homes in the flood-prone area.
After torrential rainfall on October 18 and 19 last year, Greenvale and other parts of the country were overwhelmed by floodwaters.
HDC built 435 units in Greenvale which has three phases.
Last November, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said over $30 million had been spent on flood relief with an additional $30 million in grants to affected homeowners.
Some homeowners received a minimum of $15,000, while others got up to $20,000.
Communications manager of the HDC Dike Noel refused to comment on legal action taken against the corporation by the residents, stating that the matter was before the court.
However, he said from June, the HDC implemented several mitigation initiatives in the community.
Among the measures was the raising of the containment berm to fully surround the community, raising the roadways surrounding the community and constructing a road to connect La Horquetta South and Greenvale Park to serve as an alternative route for residents.
He said work continues on the construction and installation of an automated flood pumping station to increase pumping capacity at the detention ponds.
At Oropune Gardens, another community hit by the flood, Noel said water courses were cleaned and pumps placed to treat with any rising water levels.
HDC's managing director Brent Lyons said the HDC "understands the unease that some residents may feel when there is inclement weather" hence the reason why they ensured mitigation works were completed before the start of the rainy season.
"We also ensured that that our contractors were able to complete major works on the affected homes, notwithstanding the challenges that were encountered along the way."
He said feedback from residents indicate that they are pleased with the work done.
Lyons promised to monitor "vulnerable communities" to minimise flooding in HDC communities.
Chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation Paul Leacock—under whose purview Greenvale, Oropune and St Helena fall—said the corporation retained 120 temporary workers in June to clear drains in communities that were affected.
Short-term employment, Leacock said, cost the corporation $3 million while the bill for good and services was $300,000.
"Other works could have cost us about $1 million. One of the most important steps is that in the HDC's housing settlements that were affected we met with the corporation and came up with a plan to evacuate residents using maps."
Leacock said anyone who faces a flood will live in fear of being affected again.
"There is nothing we can do about the fear. What we can do is be prepared."
He said all agencies are better prepared to handle a major flood.
During tropical storm Karen they got into the effected communities early.
"Remember the fundamental issue is that once you have more rains our drains and watercourses would not be able to take the volume of water. Flooding has been happening all over the world with climate change."
He said the indiscriminate dumping of garbage and old furniture and appliances in waterways and individuals using lengths of bamboo to grow vine crops on the river banks have been contributing factors to the floods.
"The bamboo would rot and come down the river blocking the water's flow. As a result, we end up with large catastrophies based on man-made contributions. We are contributing to our own demise."
Leacock said farmers needed to use other methods of farming which they were looking at, while citizens have to become environmentally conscious.
By January, the corporation will introduce a recycling programme.