View exclusive footage of Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan that the alleged breach of the Caroni river that is being blamed for flooding in Bamboo No. 2. AZP News Video/Sue-Ann Wayow
By Sue-Ann Wayow
A RESIDENT who allegedly breached the bank along the Caroni River is being blamed for causing distress to hundreds of families who live in the Bamboo communities.
Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan spent Tuesday on the flooded waters of the Bamboo settlements and was taken to the edge of the bank where the alleged breach occurred at the end of Mohan Street, Bamboo Settlement No. 2.
Sinanan was accompanied on that boat tour by Director of Drainage Division Katherine Badloo Doerga, head of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) Major General (Ret’d) Rodney Smart and Imam Hasseeb Aziz of the Bamboo Masjid amongst others. AZP News was also on the vessel.
Bamboo resident, Avinash Maraj captained the boat and used the opportunity to share his situation with the government officials.
The minister was informed that the resident had died but that family members were in charge of his business.
Sinanan said he would be launching an investigation to find out the source of the breach.
Speaking at a media conference on Tuesday evening at 5 pm, Sinanan said there were three breaches, two allegedly from a contractor doing tracking on the river bank.
Sinanan said, “And one, it is alleged again, it is being investigated that a resident of the area cut the bank about 80 feet to allow recreational activities, that would have accounted for about 80% of the water now in Bamboo.”
Pumps were shut down as a precautionary measure because they too were submerged underwater in Bamboo, he said.
The challenge was that there was no place for the water to run off, the minister said.
“We do have pumps on standby, once the water recedes, we would put these additional pumps in place to get the water out,” Sinanan said.
The minister said some 500 sandbags were being organised to be placed on the riverbank as an immediate curbing measure.
Residents who have lived in the area for all their lives said this flood was the worst they ever experienced, even worst than the one in 2018.
“We just want to be heard and get some help,” they said.
One resident, Abdul Aziz, said, “I have lost everything in this flood. I managed to save a couple chickens. That is not the crix of the crop. The crux of the crop is that I lost 600 baby chicks. Chicks that I saved money to buy. All have drowned. The water came rushing like a waterfall into Bamboo.”
The residents called for compensation, additional relief and assistance in clean-up operations.
The flooding in Bamboo also had a domino effect on traffic especially along the southbound lanes of the highway as many were stuck for hours on the roads.
While Sinanan toured the Bamboo area, Member of Parliament for Oropouche West Dr Roodal Moonilal, MP for Chaguanas West Dinesh Rambally and Mayaro MP Rushton Paray were also visiting flooded communities in their constituency.
Video of flooding in Bamboo No.2. AZP News video/Sue-Ann Wayow
On Tuesday night, Couva North MP Ravi Ratiram made his rounds to flood victims after meeting constituents at his office during the day.
Water is slowly receding in some areas. On Wednesday morning, Valsayn South resident Dr Rajendra Singh who has been monitoring the water levels daily told AZP News that the water receded 25 inches from its peak but was still too high to drive through.
Sinanan told AZP News on Wednesday morning that the three large pumps were in the Bamboo vicinity ready to assist the communities if needed and that the sandbags were also issued.
Speaking on the banks of the Caroni River, Sinanan told AZP News, “Obviously people are hurt, people have lost significantly and as minister we sometimes have to bear the brunt of that, but as a minister, that is part of the job.”
