Guayaguayare Main Road
By Sue-Ann Wayow
MORE than 50 instances of flooding and 30 landslips occurred on Saturday alone due to bad weather.
The Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government in its incident summary report stated that the Couva Tabaquite Talparo Regional Corporation (CTTRC) has once again topped the list for flooding with 25 floods being reported out of 54. The CTTRC also reported six landslides.
The Tunapuna Piarco Regional Corporation (TPRC) reported nine floods and also six landslides.
The Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and the Mayaro Rio Claro Regional Corporation (MRCRC) reported eight and seven instances of flooding respectively.
The MRCRC also reported the highest number of landslides – seven.
There was one report of a fallen tree also at the CTTRC and one roof damage in the Arima Borough Corporation.
Bracing for further damage
CTTRC, chairman Henry Awong told AZP News on Sunday that Caparo and Mamoral experienced the worst floods.
With the issuance of the orange alerts for both rivers and the weather, he said, “We are bracing for further damage.”
Parts of San Coco Road in Gran Couva were “totally gone” and vehicles cannot use the road, Awong said, and people can come out of their homes on foot only.
Awong also lamented about the lack of water from the water pipelines as the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) plants are also experiencing problems due to the bad weather.
He said he was attempting to get in touch with WASA officials to assist.
Awong told AZP News that even more important was dealing with the road breakage within the Corporation’s jurisdiction.
He said, “The last count we had was 160 landslides within the region. There are some roads that are totally cut off. We are grappling with the whole issue of landslides in this region. Flooding will come and will be bad and people will suffer damage and so on but eventually the water subsides and then you can get back to some form of normalcy. But when it comes to landslips that is terrible.”
There was one landslide in Macaulay that is a threat to a house on a hill.
Awong said engineering advice was being sought and information would be sent to the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government regarding that situation.
“This will need Central Government intervention,” he said.
Chairman of the MRCRC Raymond Cozier also spoke with AZP News.
He said some roads other than the closed Manzanilla Mayaro Road remained impassable.
He said the seven landslides occurred at Guayaguayare Road, Biche, Ortoire, Ecclesville and Maloney Road in the Grand Lagoon area that vehicles cannot pass through.
Cozier said the MRCRC dealt with the landslides along the Guayaguayare Road.
A landslip occurred some weeks ago along Point Radix Road and as a result of the weekend’s weather was now impassable.
He also said there are currently a lot of areas that have not yet been assessed.
