PM Manning: TT not ready for disaster

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning yesterday conceded that Trinidad and Tobago is not prepared to handle a major natural disaster and has ordered a high-powered ministerial team to come up with a proper national disaster-preparedness plan by January 31.  Addressing a news conference at Whitehall yesterday, the Prime Minister said hurricane activity in the Caribbean earlier this year and Sunday’s killer earthquake in South-East Asia suggest that “what we are seeing is a new period of natural disaster of great intensity.” Manning added that this view appeared to be in sync with information he received during a visit to the US State Department in Washington DC which showed the weather patterns now at “the beginning of a ten year cycle.”

Recalling that TT also recently experienced two strong earthquakes, Manning said: “Plate tectonics are active in the Caribbean as they are in South-East Asia. We do not know what is to come. What we do know is that having regard with what we are seeing around the world, prudence dictates that we put appropriate contingency plans in place.” The Prime Minister said two worst case natural disaster scenarios were advanced to heads of the nation’s disaster preparedness agencies during a meeting at Whitehall earlier in the day. The first involved a major earthquake off TT’s east coast causing a giant tsunami that penetrates TT’s east and south coast, releasing oil and gas from the sea floor. The second involved the eruption of a sub-sea volcano off Grenada, resulting in a tidal wave which affects north and east Trinidad and all of Tobago. “What emerged is there are plans in place. What is equally clear is that the plans are inadequate. The resources to fully effect the plans are not all in place. The plans such as they exist do not cater for the two scenarios that have just been outlined,” he declared.

With this in mind, Manning said a high-powered ministerial committee (chaired by National Security Minister Martin Joseph) and an associated advisory team have been mandated to develop a proper national disaster preparedness plan (that will include some type on early warning system) and submit a report to Cabinet by January 31. “The team will get to work immediately. We were not interested in esoteric plans, we were interested in arrangements that are workable on the ground,” the Prime Minister said. Other members of this team include Health Minister John Rahael, Works and Transport Minister Franklin Khan and Energy Minister Eric Williams.

Manning also said the TT Regiment’s Engineering Battalion would be strengthened to properly deal with natural disasters and Government would seek assistance from the private sector (including foreign oil companies operating in TT) in devising an effective disaster preparedness plan. Joseph said the new Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) will be operational by the end of fiscal 2005 and these new contingency plans will ensure that structures are in place to respond to natural disasters until the ODPM becomes operation. The Prime Minister said it was premature to say what cost the State would incur in upgrading TT’s disaster preparedness plans but he reiterated that whatever plans are presented to Cabinet on January 31 must be effective and be able to be implemented in the shortest possible time.