A lot more work needs to be done by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM).
Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath noted his level of disappointment with the ODPM’s responsiveness and its ability to provide day-to-day support in mitigating flooding, particularly in communities that are often cut off from the rest of the country.
“I often find that while they are the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, they are often unprepared, and therefore that is why I made the quip earlier that I am not so sure how prepared the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management is.”
The Minister also expressed his disappointment with former Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales. He said the transformation plan for WASA did little to nothing to improve water production and distribution, as only 27% of Trinidad and Tobago receives a 24/7 supply of water.
“To tell the people of Trinidad and Tobago that they were receiving a 61% supply under the transformation was nothing short of a lie, and therefore WASA putting out the details of that report over the next day or two I hope will really ventilate the truth of the situation.”
He noted that improvements to the Water and Sewerage Authority and water distribution throughout Trinidad and Tobago will improve as they seek to reduce the over-dependence on particular major water supplies.
“So what we are looking at is new sources of water, particularly in some of the south-central and eastern constituencies because those were the areas of the country that were more rural than others, and therefore if you invest locally into the communities for water sources, then you will be able to meet the challenges day to day.”
The Minister said they are actively engaged in bringing immediate relief to particular areas over the next few months as they continue exploring infrastructural solutions for water distribution.