Government will be managing flooding through increased enforcement of legislation, Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis said on Saturday.
In a media release, the minister said there must be a balance between expanding population and proper usage of the environment.
The release comes after last Tuesday’s flooding in north-west Trinidad, including the capital Port of Spain, that claimed the life of a homeless man and severely affected homes and businesses.
“Legislation exists to regulate use and care of our environment and reinforcement will be enhanced to deal with flooding issues. Some of the regulations that will begin to be reinforced through the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) include the Water Pollution Rules, 2019 and the Water Pollution (Fees) Regulations, 2019, the Waste Management Rules, 2021 and the Waste Management (Fees) Regulations, 2021,” the minister said. “Other legislative mechanisms also include the Certificate of Environmental Clearance Rules, 2001 and the Air Pollution Rules.”
Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, when contacted last Friday, said while there were setbacks associated with covid19, the short term plans to address flooding is still on track. In May last year, Sinanan told Sunday Newsday that there is a national drainage programme with the aim of addressing flooding within five years.
The national plan is being funded by the Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF) Development Bank at no cost to TT. When the plan is completed, CAF will facilitate the loan to finance the project.
[caption id="attachment_905864" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Fire officers look at a car swept by floodwaters into the St Ann’s river, along the main road, last Tuesday. Photo by Jeff Mayers -[/caption]
Asked for an update on the plan following last Tuesday’s flood, which affected communities near the St Ann’s River, which flows into the East Dry River, Sinanan said, “We have received preliminary findings from them.”
Robinson-Regis said while the ministry is conducting several programmes and introducing legislation, protecting the environment “must be the responsibility of every member of our national population.”
As the country awaits the enforcement of legislation, Sinanan said there is an ongoing exercise to locate catchment and pond areas. He did not go into further details adding only that covid19 may have set them back a bit but work is ongoing.
Sinanan also pointed to the indiscriminate dumping by those living in and near river beds
“We have some cuttings on the hills and so, which is not helping the situation. This is the new experience we have been having with the weather patterns for the last couple of years with serious downpour.”
Sinanan said his ministry is working with the Ministry of Planning and Development to address flooding, saying that everyone needs to be responsible.
In March 2019, Dutch consultant Witteveen+Bos International Projects B V, the Drainage Division of the Minister and CAF representatives, had technical site visits
