FLOODING in Sangre Grande and its environs was the major concern raised during a public forum on coping with impact-related loss and accessing relief on Thursday.
The event was hosted by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) at the North Eastern College in Sangre Grande. It was part of the ODPM's National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Month activities.
Representatives from the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, National Commission for Self Help Ltd, and Red Cross made presentations.
The event was poorly attended by residents and comprised mostly of officials from the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and the Cumuto/Manzanilla constituency office.
During the question-and-answer segment, Nirmal Singh, a field officer, Cumuto/Manzanilla, raised concerns over the safety of residents of Toco/Sangre Grande and Cumuto/Manzanilla and their properties.
Singh said the population in these two constituencies have exploded unchecked with several illegal developments and poorly planned developments.
He said this resulted in massive flooding becoming the norm as water courses have been interrupted. He cited instances of flooding last month, in November last year and the massive 2018 event.
"What we are doing right now is damage control," he told Newsday. "When we talk about grants then we are not being proactive. We would rather give you a cheque than deal with this in a permanent manner.
"Yes, a cheque might be something of interest but if you're constantly affected. There are persons in Sangre Grande from June 1 to November 30 (the hurricane season), they will be uncomfortable in their own homes. You're gonna have an application in ministry of social services every year?"
Singh also complained about the time it takes for social services to process relief cheques, saying some people were still waiting for their covid19 grants.
[caption id="attachment_1016941" align="alignnone" width="928"] Nirmal Singh, field officer, Cumuto/Manzanilla constituency office, makes a point a a public symposium on disaster impact and accessing relief at North Eastern College, Sangre Grande on Thursday. - Photo by Stephon Nicholas[/caption]
Anil Juteram, chairman, Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, told Newsday he was pleased that ODPM came to Sangre Grande to raise awareness of the amalgamation of state agencies which can deal with disasters. However, he said he would have liked to see representatives from the Town and Country division and Ministry of Works drainage division as they were responsible for causing the problems that the other state agencies have to respond to.
Katherine Badloo Doerga, director of drainage division, Ministry of Works was present on Thursday but was not an official speaker at the event.
Asked by Newsday what the ministry has done to prepare for the start of the rainy season, she said there were 121 desilting projects in east Trinidad.
She said there were also infrastructural projects where repairs to retaining walls at existing water cour
