Govt targets hillside developers, squatters

GOVERNMENT will crackdown on hillside developers and squatters in Trinidad’s Northern Range whose indiscriminate land clearing practices contribute to the country’s perennial flooding problems. Works and Transport Minister Franklin Khan made this solemn vow following the opening of Berth Seven at the Port of Port-of-Spain yesterday. Khan said the East-West Corridor suffered the most damage from Sunday’s flooding and in early 2005 “there will be a major walling and paving of many of the watercourses of the Northern Range.” He said while the rainfall to date has been “inordinately high,” poor management of the nation’s catchment areas remains a major problem where flood control is concerned. The Minister said Government could not be blamed because “we have been clearing watercourses, walling and paving rivers.”

“People who are culpable in this matter are the two hardest people to deal with in society — the poor and the filthy rich. The squatters who claim they have no place to live, and there is a political consequence of dealing with that, and the very rich people who for whatever reason get permission to build way up on the mountain slopes and they build massive mansions. “This has created a major problem. You see a trend. The two types of people who occupy the major slopes of the country are very poor, or the very rich. This has created a major problem. There are regulations in Town and Country that seek to debar people from this indiscriminate development but people seem to be sidestepping the regulations. “We have to get serious with regards to that level of indiscipline. We are an up and down society,” he declared. Khan said he would speak with Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis on this matter.

He did not rule out the possibility of legislation to deal with these individuals. He observed that unlike locations such as Chaguanas and Couva, there was little room for expansion in North Trinidad  and this was stretching the already limited land resources of the country. The Minister said Government was faced with a dilemma and may have to consider whether to become “more draconian” in planning policies. Khan said damage caused by flooding for 2004 would have been worse had Government not undertaken prevention measures from 2003. He said significant works continue on the Caroni River and the Ministry has extended a contract from $10 to $15 million to build embankments from Kelly Village to Caroni Village. He added that construction of the Mammoral Dam was a long-term solution to the country’s flooding problems and peripheral works on the dam will begin in 2005.