Easing the trauma
Government continues to display its commitment to providing financial, social and psychological relief to the scores of families in north western Trinidad, who lost homes, furniture, appliances, clothes and vehicles, et al, in the massive flooding and landslides triggered by last week Saturday’s unusually heavy rainfall.
On Thursday this country’s Olympic javelin gold medallist, Keshorn Walcott, and several other Olympians toured affected areas in a motorcade organised by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and distributed hampers to families affected by the disaster.
In one fell swoop, Walcott, Trinidad and Tobago’s first Olympic gold medallist, since the 1976 Montreal Games, and other Olympians, were able both to present themselves to the adversely affected communities and to personally hand out the hampers. It was a demonstration of concern for their discomfort and being with them at a critical time of their lives.
In the forefront of this concern had been Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who on the first day of the disaster had been out in the field personally witnessing and identifying with the hardships being experienced as a result of the floods and mudslides. In the process, the Prime Minister gained a crucial impression, first hand, of the tremendous financial, physical and social damage done and better positioned herself and her administration to assist.
Already, in addition to the clearing up of mud and debris, cleaning up roadways and scores of homes, Government has relocated some of the families made homeless by the floods and landslides to its apartment complex at Oropune Gardens, Piarco. At least one of the relocated families had lost everything, while, basically all needed mattresses, water and foodstuff.
Admittedly, the transition from Dibe Road, Long Circular, where one family had to be moved out of, meant not merely its being sited in a completely new location, but would require miles of travel for the breadwinner to her work place. Another major problem will be obtaining new schools for the children of displaced families.
Meanwhile, the Poverty Reduction Department of the Ministry of the People and Social Development has indicated it would assist farmers who lost animals. Parents, whose children’s schoolbooks and/or uniforms were lost in the floods and slush qualify for assistance also. A grant of $1,000 per child will be available to each child attending secondary school and $700 in the case of a child at primary school. In addition, a grant of up to $4,500 can be obtained by families who lost beds, stoves and refrigerators. The allocation of grants, however, is not an overnight procedure but would require applications and standard processing. But the intent to assist is there.
Newsday, in a bid to assist persons, who have been inconvenienced by last weekend’s disaster, published in its issue Wednesday, an article alerting them to the help available, including, for example, in addition to the above a General Assistance Grant of up to $2,500 for medication and a monthly Personal Assistance Grant of $2,500 for up to three months.
An important factor which clearly should not be overlooked is that in addition to the Prime Minister visiting the area virtually immediately on being alerted of the disaster, was the moving into action of Central Government and the Diego Martin Regional Corporation not merely to express concern but to see for themselves and initiate early action. This is reminiscent of the concern demonstrated in September, 1963, by the then Government of the day, when Hurricane Flora devastated large areas of Tobago. Indeed, the Government, along with relevant officials, relocated to Tobago for close to a fortnight to better appreciate, not only the extent of the damage, but what action could be taken as quickly as possible.
Nonetheless, steps should be taken by the Town and Country Planning Division to limit construction of buildings on hillsides. Both the Central Government and the Diego Martin Regional Corporation should ensure that watercourses in the Diego Martin area should remain clear on an ongoing basis. Had these measures been effectively put into place, last weekend’s tragedy could have and would have been averted.
Government continues to display its commitment to providing financial, social and psychological relief to the scores of families in north western Trinidad, who lost homes, furniture, appliances, clothes and vehicles, et al, in the massive flooding and landslides triggered by last week Saturday’s unusually heavy rainfall.
On Thursday this country’s Olympic javelin gold medallist, Keshorn Walcott, and several other Olympians toured affected areas in a motorcade organised by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and distributed hampers to families affected by the disaster.
In one fell swoop, Walcott, Trinidad and Tobago’s first Olympic gold medallist, since the 1976 Montreal Games, and other Olympians, were able both to present themselves to the adversely affected communities and to personally hand out the hampers. It was a demonstration of concern for their discomfort and being with them at a critical time of their lives.
In the forefront of this concern had been Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who on the first day of the disaster had been out in the field personally witnessing and identifying with the hardships being experienced as a result of the floods and mudslides. In the process, the Prime Minister gained a crucial impression, first hand, of the tremendous financial, physical and social damage done and better positioned herself and her administration to assist.
Already, in addition to the clearing up of mud and debris, cleaning up roadways and scores of homes, Government has relocated some of the families made homeless by the floods and landslides to its apartment complex at Oropune Gardens, Piarco. At least one of the relocated families had lost everything, while, basically all needed mattresses, water and foodstuff.
Admittedly, the transition from Dibe Road, Long Circular, where one family had to be moved out of, meant not merely its being sited in a completely new location, but would require miles of travel for the breadwinner to her work place. Another major problem will be obtaining new schools for the children of displaced families.
Meanwhile, the Poverty Reduction Department of the Ministry of the People and Social Development has indicated it would assist farmers who lost animals. Parents, whose children’s schoolbooks and/or uniforms were lost in the floods and slush qualify for assistance also. A grant of $1,000 per child will be available to each child attending secondary school and $700 in the case of a child at primary school. In addition, a grant of up to $4,500 can be obtained by families who lost beds, stoves and refrigerators. The allocation of grants, however, is not an overnight procedure but would require applications and standard processing. But the intent to assist is there.
Newsday, in a bid to assist persons, who have been inconvenienced by last weekend’s disaster, published in its issue Wednesday, an article alerting them to the help available, including, for example, in addition to the above a General Assistance Grant of up to $2,500 for medication and a monthly Personal Assistance Grant of $2,500 for up to three months.
An important factor which clearly should not be overlooked is that in addition to the Prime Minister visiting the area virtually immediately on being alerted of the disaster, was the moving into action of Central Government and the Diego Martin Regional Corporation not merely to express concern but to see for themselves and initiate early action. This is reminiscent of the concern demonstrated in September, 1963, by the then Government of the day, when Hurricane Flora devastated large areas of Tobago. Indeed, the Government, along with relevant officials, relocated to Tobago for close to a fortnight to better appreciate, not only the extent of the damage, but what action could be taken as quickly as possible.
Nonetheless, steps should be taken by the Town and Country Planning Division to limit construction of buildings on hillsides. Both the Central Government and the Diego Martin Regional Corporation should ensure that watercourses in the Diego Martin area should remain clear on an ongoing basis. Had these measures been effectively put into place, last weekend’s tragedy could have and would have been averted.
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