Government should move ahead with the Beverage Container Bill in a bid to curb the amount of garbage thrown into watercourses.
This was the view of Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial earlier today as she visited parts of her constituency hit by flooding. Ramdial said the bill had lapsed in the Senate. But having seen the devastation caused by the floods, some of it as a result of the dumping of garbage in waterways, she said it was now time to revisit it.
“I want to make an appeal to the Minister of Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis to give us an update. Is it the intention of this Government to bring the Beverage Container Bill to deal with pollution of our waterways, which will, in the long run, see an alleviation of flooding,” Ramdial said.
She said in the short term, regular maintenance of watercourses, including dredging of major rivers, is needed. She said additional retention ponds are also needed in some areas to pull and store excess water in times of heavy rainfall.
Ramdial said unscrupulous land developers also need to be dealt with by the relevant authorities, adding they often sell lands without proper drainage and approvals.
Following the tour of her constituency, Ramdial said parts of Joyce Road, Orange Field and the Connector Road between Exchange and Waterloo had experienced flooding.
At the Connector Road, water was almost three feet high at some points, making it impossible for cars to pass. Police and Fire Service Officers visited the scene. Police said they had received numerous calls from members of the public who wanted to know how high the flood was along the Connector Road since that road alleviates most of the traffic congestion heading from Chaguanas to Couva.
At Caparo, Paras Ramoutar, the former councillor for the area, said for decades calls to dredge and expand the Caparo River had fallen on deaf ears. He said coupled with neglect and pollution of the watercourses, flooding is now inevitable in parts of Caparo and environs.