Approximately 2,300 households were affected by the recent widespread flooding across the country. The affected communities span from Sangre Grande to far-flung Woodland.
Confirmation came from National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, who held a joint press conference with Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Kazim Hosein, Minister of Social Development and Family Services Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn and Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat at the Parliament Building, Port-of-Spain.
The five ministries came together to inform the population how Government had been responding to the deluge which affected 11 out of the 14 regional corporations.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced that Cabinet had approved $35 million to compensate flood victims. He advised, however, that not all flood victims will be compensated by the Government.
“Once they are qualified we will ensure that they get it. Some people expect more assistance than they are entitled to. But if there are people with genuine complaints I am sure public officers who are involved will ensure that such persons will not be disadvantaged,” Rowley said at a press conference at the Piarco International Airport on his return from Mexico.
Hours later at the joint press conference, Dillon said having conducted damage assessments from October 18 to yesterday, from the ministries’ assessments so far roughly “2,300 homes” were affected by the flood waters.
“Once those damage assessments are completed, then that report will be transmitted to the various ministries to bring relief to those impacted,” he said.
Going forward, Dillon said the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (OPDM) will review its coordination and response to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.
“We intend to review what has gone good, what did not work and what were the gaps,” Dillon said.
Dillon said ODPM relief officer Neville Wint will take charge of the unit until they get a replacement, which will be soon.
Unable to say how many farms were destroyed by the recent floods, Rambharat said from today the ministry will make a $12 million in payments to 636 farmers whose farms were ravaged by Bret.
“Based on what I have seen so far from Namdevco, it is difficult to gauge at this time in terms of a dollar figure in terms of the impact. It is difficult to gauge prices on the wholesale and retail markets.”
However, he said he expects the same numbers of farmers to be affected this time around.
Sinanan said his ministry discovered there were a lot of breaches on some of the major watercourses, especially the major rivers.
“This would have caused some of the significant flooding, especially down in deep South.”
As the water subsided, Sinanan said he had been receiving reports of water damage to several roadways which would have to be repaired. He admitted that a lot of developers got approvals by the Town and Country Planning Division without visiting the ministry’s drainage department.
“We want to make that mandatory.”
As for squatters and developers who have built over watercourses and box drains, Sinanan said they will have to move.
Crichlow-Cockburn said her ministry will provide a $20,000 housing grant in addition to $1,000 clothing grant for those affected. A school supply grant is also provided, while a $10,000 grant is awarded to victims who lost basic household item, adding they will try to do the assessments and hand out the grants in the shortest possible time.