A proactive approach must be taken to control and alleviate flooding throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
To do this, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, Khadijah Ameen, said a combined effort by all government agencies and external stakeholders is needed.
At the Launch of the Flood Mitigation Exercise 2025 on Tuesday, Minister Ameen and the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Ravi Ratiram, both pledged their respective Ministries’ resources towards flood prevention.
According to Minister Ameen, the flood mitigation and shelter management exercise is not just a technical project but a human safety initiative.
“The people who have been devastated, traumatised every year, who are now looking for some sort of comfort from us, and you, Councillors, you are the customer service representatives out there, and sometimes our job is to comfort and reassure people, but our mandate is to ensure that there is action and we will have action.”
Minister Ravi Ratiram highlighted the importance of local farmers and their active role in food security. He said farmers have experienced “disrespect” by the Ministry as many have had their registration applications denied.
“And that level of disrespect is something we have to put behind us. We must give farmers the respect that they deserve and flooding is something that not only affects the farming community but it affects citizens, it affects residents.”
Chaguanas Mayor Faaiq Mohammed is in full support of cooperative action. He highlighted that everyone is affected by floods and must do their part to address these challenges. Additionally, the Mayor said by pooling the resources of various Corporations, Disaster Management Units, and external stakeholders, noticeable change can be realised.
“We are not only cleaning drains, we are clearing a path towards resilience. We must desilt watercourses, remove illegal dumping, and educate and educate the public, because no matter how much we clean if people are still throwing washing machines and couches in watercourses, we will be wasting our time and taxpayers’ money.”
Minister Ameen, Mayors, and Councillors inspected the various heavy machinery available to Regional Corporations. She said all resources and equipment will be utilised across the fourteen Municipal Corporations to ensure maximum benefit.