North-east communities cry out for better roads

THE EDITOR: This is in response to critics of the Eco-Highway from Blanchisseuse to Matelot. People without a vision perish. There is scope for development of the north-east coast, but with the lack of Government initiative some rural communities are deprived of economic growth. The area between Matelot and Blanchisseuse comprises of eight underdeveloped communities which lack basic amenities. Two areas of concern are the deplorable conditions of the main and access roads to facilitate farmers. Our land holdings are located between Matelot and Blanchisseuse and without vehicular access we are unable to increase the level of agricultural productions and alleviate poverty. Wooden pirogues continue to ferry our produce via the Caribbean sea, beasts of burden and human on land to Matelot. Sea transport is unreliable during the time of rough seas as many tonnes of agri-produce, harvested and unharvested, stay in the fields to rot, incurring financial losses.

This condition can prevail for several months before the coastline normalises. The current modes of transport are outdated, but can be improved with road traffic. Road transportation is required to improve the quality of lives for us who are land owners between Matelot and Blanchisseuse. However, if that is not possible then there should be an alternative, the land should be purchased by Government and declared a protected area. The RC Church and a non resident own the land in Matelot village and its environs. We are tenants of both entities and even the public cemetery to bury our dead is at Lanse Palmiste, eight miles from the village. Getting there without road traffic is impossible and transporting our dead by sea is untenable. If the portion of the Paria Main Road from Matelot to Blanchisseuse had been constructed eleven small communities would not have been in the primitive state they are in today. Those communities which suffer from underdevelopment are Tamanac, St Helen, Petite Riviere, Lanse Palmiste, Trou Michele, Cachipa, Cambural, Madamas, Lo Mark, Tacarib and Paria Bay.

They continue to contribute to the national economy with agro-crops of cocoa, coffee, nutmeg, coconut (copra) bananas and ground provisions. One farmer of Tamanac complains bitterly about the huge difficulties he is experiencing in getting his produce to market and to construct a dwelling house. His existing wooden home is in a state of dilapidation and he wants to build a concrete one, but getting the material to the site is tedious. He has to carry few blocks at a time on his head since he does not own a beast of burden. Providing vehicular access would ease him and others with similar problems in the region. Tamanac is situated eight kilometres west of Matelot. Those rustic communities of the north-east coast are not benefiting from Government annual budgetary allocations since they are plagued with numerous problems. The plights of the residents are not addressed as numerous land slides way back as 1971 have not been cleared. Wooden bridges have collapsed while the side railings of others have fallen off and washed away by the continuous flow.

We certainly need this portion of the road constructed to develop our land and to get into other industries such as eco-tourism and agri-tourism because of the lamentable decline in fishing and food crop production. Our standard of living has dropped considerably since cocoa, coffee and bananas are no longer sustainable. The road from Matelot to Blanchisseuse is part of the network of roads in Trinidad and it is called the Paria Main Road. It begins at Palm Tree, Toco and ends at La Fillette, except that eighteen miles cannot accommodate road traffic. Wooden mile posts bearing figures of 67-71 from Blanchisseuse to La Fillette could attest to its origin. Where did those mile posts come from, either Port-of-Spain or Sangre Grande? The latter town is the origin of those mile marks along the Toco Main Road to the Paria Main Road. This road is important for the social, cultural and economic development of the north east coast and to bring much relief to hapless residents. Is it by fate or destiny that the Paria Main Road remains totally underdeveloped? Preservation of the watershed as a catchment area and the flora and fauna is essential. The authority must guide development of the area by imposing legislation and regulations to protect the pristine environment.

Environmentalist and conservationist groups must play a key role in seeing that the measure imposed on development of the area be adhered to. As a member of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) I would like to quote an article from another member: “twenty years ago, 1,500 people residing in a small coastal village of Paria do Forte in the state of Bahia had no basic amenities and land access was via a small wooden ferry. During that time along the 6,000 mile-long coast of Brazil, beach development was accelerated. A bridge, a highway and the installation of electricity through the area brought infrastructural changes to the village. Fortunately, legislation and regulations help to guide development that would not destroy the pristine environment.” Paria de Forte illustrates successful development and preservation of an ecologically rich beachfront, along with the residents who live there. The ecological method adopted by the Brazilian Government should be used to provide vehicular access to the affected area. The proposed construction of the highway should be a priority for a 2020 vision.

DOMINIC SALVARY
Matelot