By Sue-Ann Wayow
PARTS of Trinidad remain under water with several people marooned in their homes on Wednesday.
The Disaster Management Unit (DMU) teams are out along with other agencies who are assisting as best as they could until the water subsides.
Chairman of the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation Dr Allen Sammy said affected areas were in Rock Road, Penal, and its side streets.
“There are about 300 people either directly or indirectly affected. Homes are directly affected yes but right now those who are in cannot get out and those who are out cannot get in. Only big trucks could pass through the waters to a certain extent,” Sammy told AZP News.
A major landslide occurred at Wilson Road and was being cleared.
Information received from Member of Parliament for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal is that water was settling on the SS Erin by the Debe market.
Chester St Ext residents are cut off as the river bank is broken.
The Gucharon River was rising rapidly and if that overflowed, Debe Trace will be affected.
Calls for Bailey Bridge to be installed
In Couva, Member of Parliament for Couva South Rudranath Indarsingh is calling for a bailey bridge to be installed after the Carolina Bridge collapsed.
In a media release on Wednesday, Indarsingh stated that with bridge’s collapse, residents of Springvale, Claxton Bay, Mt Pleasant Road, Carolina Trace Nos 1&2, Forres Park, Milton, Lower Carolina, and other surrounding communities are greatly affected and even isolated, as the roadway was used as the main route for members of these communities.
The MP stated that he had reached out on several occasions for the intervention of the Minister of Works and Transport, Rohan Sinanan and Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Faris Al Rawi in saving the bridge.
Indarsingh met with the residents who told him that they will have to spend extra time and monies to move in and out of their homes to get to and from work, to meet with family members and to other commitments.
Indarsingh said, “I place this major disruption squarely at the feet of this Government, which, despite promises, remains numb and unresponsive to the plight of the residents now affected. It is time for the millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money being spent by this Government be used to benefit the people of Carolina and Couva South.”
The bailey bridge is being requested until a more permanent structure could be installed.
