Rondon to homeowners: Maintain your properties

Rondon made the appeal after hosting an emergency meeting with councillors and aldermen at the corporation after the passage of Tropical Storm Bret.

The storm resulted in flooding in various parts of the Toco/Sangre Grande and Cumuto/ Manzanilla constituencies, including Vega de Oropouche, Valencia, Sangre Grande North West, and La Seiva, a small village off Toco Road.

Several homeowners also reported that their roofs had been blown off during the storm.

Rondon said while the corporation and its supporting agencies would do their best to assist the distressed residents, homeowners also have to take better care of their properties.

“Many of them have allowed their places to become run down,” Rondon said.

“Some of them have termite- eaten posts. They are not repairing anything and as rain falls and the roof gone, they looking for Government to come in. I am saying that has to stop.” Rondon said a proper assessment of the extent of damage throughout the constituencies will be undertaken today.

He said he was working closely with the Defence Force and the Office for Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) to get supplies and relief to residents in Valencia who were affected.

He said the corporation has an increased responsiveness to local emergencies after last year’s torrential rainfall which left parts of Valencia and Grande Riviere temporarily isolated. He praised Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan for their cooperation thus far and expressed optimism that the situation will be resolved in the shortest possible time.