By Sue-Ann Wayow
MEMBER of Parliament for Chaguanas West Dinesh Rambally is again appealing to government to deal with the issue of flooding in Caroni with a sense of urgency as waters continue to rise in affected areas.
After five days of bad weather the Caroni River again burst its banks on Sunday wreaking havoc for residents in its vicinity.
On Monday morning, there was still a run-off of water onto the roadways.
And with more rainfall at 11 am, residents fear that they would remain flooded for a prolonged period.
In an update on Monday’s situation, Rambally told AZP News that upon reports of major flooding just after noon on Sunday he immediately engaged the attention of Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan and the Director of Drainage as well as the Chairman of the Tunapuna Piarco Regional Corporation Kwasi Robinson.
He said about 65 to 100 homes remained affected.
Rambally said, “From about half-past-three yesterday, it was clear that the water was rising, the water had breached the old Caroni River embankment at the top of Persad street.”
He said a water pump was immediately requested and about 5.40 pm, it was initiated with water being pumped throughout the night.
The MP said he left Caroni Village around 10.30 pm on Sunday with residents giving him updates throughout the night.
He returned at around 5 am.
“I came back because the water rather than dissipate, the water kept rising which meant the water kept rising in the old Caroni River. There was rainfall overnight and that may have contributed to some of the raising water levels,” he said.
Rambally said the pump was stopped just after 10 am for reservice.
“One cannot estimate the amount of water that continue to flow in but not pumped out of the development and therefore I expect to see much greater levels of water in and around people’s homes and stuff,” he said.
Rambally said, “The soil is very saturated. The old Caroni River is much above the level of the compromised area of the river bank so I don’t think that water will stop flowing into the village itself anytime soon.”
The MP said in August he had written to Sinanan, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Faris Al-Rawi and Chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation Kwasi Robinson following discussions of short-term measures.
Those measures included: The rebuilding of embankments along the Old Caroni River (top of Persad Street) and the embankments along the Caroni River particularly in the vicinity of Ibis Gardens, Caroni Village, La Paille Gardens and La Paille Settlement (at Tullock Street Extension), The ‘straightening’ of the flow of the Caroni River at La Paille Settlement (at Tullock Street Extension) and the repair and/or servicing of the sluice gates and flood flaps along the Caroni River particularly in the Caroni Village area.
The short-term measures also included thorough clearing and cleaning of internal drains and watercourses, suctioning of cesspools in affected homes in Caroni Village and the widening of the drains and increasing the size of the culverts which serve as the outflow of the Caroni Village at the area of Bridge Street and Railway Road behind Vishnu Boys Hindu College.
In that letter he has indicated a list of long-term measures that could have also been implemented to alleviate the flooding that continues to plague the area.
Rambally told AZP News on Monday that since then, nothing was discussed or implemented.
