Member of Parliament for Princes Town, Barry Padarath MP, is appealing to the Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales MP to ensure that water supplies are made available to citizens who were badly impacted by recent flooding, to assist with their clean-up efforts.
In an official statement, MP Padarath, who is the Opposition’s Shadow Minister of Public Utilities, says is the only way to head off what warns is “a potential public health emergency”.
“The Member of Parliament for Princes Town is concerned that citizens are without pipe borne water while they are desperately trying to clean up after massive flooding took place last week,” MP Padarath wrote in the release.
According to MP Padarath, high priority areas in need of water immediately include Mayaro, Cumuto/ Manzanilla, Fyzabad, St. Augustine, Oropouche East and West, Caroni East.
Lamenting that while flood waters have finally subsided, the Princes Town MP pointed out that affected communities are battling with dust in the air and slush in their homes, and their clean-up efforts “are being drastically affected by the lack of water.”
He called on Minister Gonzales to “send hundreds of water trucks if need be and set up as many water tanks as is needed to bring water to the people of South, Central and East Trinidad.”
“This can cause health issues for both children and adults,” MP Padarath warned, citing leptospirosis as one potential danger.
“Of course, those with asthma are struggling to manage with all the dust,” he added.