Costly mess of recurrent flooding

THE EDITOR: I am writing to express my disgust at the recent flash flooding in Woodbrook, Cocorite and the Queen’s Park Savannah, not because these merit more attention than flooding in other parts of the country, but because these are the areas in which I live, work and drive every day. When I was a child living in Diego Martin and attending primary school in Port-of-Spain, between 1965-1970, I saw Cocorite flood year after year. More than 30 years later, Cocorite still floods, only the impact on traffic congestion is much worse because there are many more cars on the road. Residents affected by Saturday’s floods in Woodbrook, say that it was the worst flooding in 45 years. The experts attribute the flooding to the combination of heavy rainfall and high tide, resulting in the Maraval River bursting its banks.

You mean to tell me that for 45 years, a thunderstorm and high tide never occurred together with the same result? Or could it be that the UDECOTT-sanctioned development of Invaders Bay has altered the drainage at the mouth of the river? Recently I’ve noticed that the Queen’s Park Savannah floods with every heavy downpour, with traffic coming to a standstill if the flooding occurs during peak traffic hours. What is being done to address the problem of flooding in these areas and other flood-prone areas of the country? While public education programmes and stricter policing can help to assuage the problem of indiscriminate dumping in rivers and drains, central and local government authorities responsible for drainage must be held accountable for the costly mess we find ourselves in, every time the skies set up. Or are we going to wait until 2020, to address all the problems that mire us in our developing-country status?

CATHY SHEPHERD
St James