PM pleased with response to flooding; opposition disagrees

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said Monday there will be a three-step plan for disaster management: early warning, saving lives and property, and livelihood rehabilitation.

Speaking with reporters at the Diplomatic centre after meeting with a Panamanian energy delegation, she thanked God that no lives were lost in the weekend flooding in north and north west Trinidad.

She said that the ministries of Works and Infrastructure, Local Government and People and Social Development, are among the various departments mandated to begin rehabilitation works.

"Officers from the Ministry of the People are on the field giving assistance to ascertain the material needs of people," she said.

Persad-Bissessar also repeated her praise for the relief agencies.

"They were there almost instantly." she said. "The different agencies were out there with clean up—I was advised that even the night before, people were already out there giving assistance," she added.

However, Opposition Leader Keith Rowley doesn't share that view. He told reporters Monday he was dissatisfied with the response of the relief agencies, noting that the focus was more on the Prime Minister's tour.

"It seems to me that some people are on stand-by for photo opportunity when these things happen and that seems to be the priority," Rowley stated.

"It was really annoying to have persons needing help from the agencies and not getting that help, not getting through on the phone, systems not working and all the lesser lights are concerned about is that the Prime Minister is coming."

Colm Imbert claimed that he saw only the Fire Service, noting that it was because a fire officer lives in one of the affected areas and had called out his colleagues for help.

"What bothered me tremendously was the absence of manpower. I had to make two or three calls to the various agencies to get people there with shovels. Because the slush in some areas were two to three feet thick. People have lost everything and I was not happy with the response of the agencies," he said.

"All I could hear is 'De Prime Minister coming'. I have no interest in that whatsoever. Who I wanted to come was not the Prime Minister. I wanted the relief agencies to come and bring food, drink, mattresses, water trucks...I was in the flood-stricken areas before and after the team of government officials passed through," he declared.