CHAGUANAS West MP Dinesh Rambally and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said politics must be kept out of flooding.
They made these comments on Friday during a motion on the adjournment of the House of Representatives about flooding in Caroni Village, La Paille Gardens, La Paille Village and La Paille Settlement.
Rambally said these areas have places which the Caroni River can breach during periods of heavy rainfall because of erosion to the embankment.
He told MPs that this matter "has no political undertone in it."
When there has been threats of flooding in these areas, Rambally said he been able to reach out to Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan and "four out of five times, he will answer my call."
He said if he made a similar request to Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi he would get Al-Rawi "three out of five times."
Rambally referred to a letter he sent to Sinanan in September 2020.
He said the challenge of existing channels being insufficient to handle increased volumes of water during periods of heavy rainfaull still continues.
"Flooding is not a partisan issue. It affects all of Trinidad and Tobago."
Rambally cited instances where people's homes have been damaged by floodwaters and the associated psychological trauma in September 2020.
He said during another instance of flooding in August 2021, many people combined their efforts with those of the authorities to bring relief to those who were most affected.
Rambally said last November, there was more flooding in the area.
He attributed this to an earlier start of the wet season than usual.
Rambally appealed to Sinanan for the necessary works to be done in the area to mitigate the effects of flooding
He said people want their homes to be secure rather than accepting bottled water and food as relief, when it floods.
In response to Rambally, Sinanan said, "I was happy to hear the member say, this is not a political motion."
He added, "We need to stop politicising flooding."
People need to work together and be better educated to deal with flooding.
Sinanan cited instances of unplanned structures being built on river banks and people planting crops in the same area, as a contributing factor to flooding which compromises the integrity of the river banks.
He agreed with Rambally that there has been a significant change in the weather patterns in recent times.
"We have been experiencing more intense rainfall, in a shorter period of time."
He said this has placed additional pressure on existing drainage channels in TT.
Warmer ocean temperatures and rising sea levels have also contributed to flooding.
Sinanan said, "Treating with flooding requires collaboration and a collaborative approach."
The ministry and the public have their roles to to play in this regard.
He said there has to be a cultural shift in the way people do things.
These include the ways in which people dispose of their waste, how and where homes are built and how people interact with the environment.
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