Prospective PNM candidate for Mayaro/Rio Claro, attorney-at-law Clarence Rambharat, yesterday appealed to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) and the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation to step up their response to the flooding crisis in the constituency and make good on promises to help residents over the next 24 hours.
Rambharat said his team had been on the ground in Mayaro, Mafeking, Cedar Grove and parts of Rio Claro for two days and despite assurances, the response from state agencies with responsibility for managing the disaster was disappointing. “Mafeking and Cedar Grove are the worst-affected areas and residents did not receive ODPM supplies until about 2 o’clock this afternoon, two days after the flooding. And I watched in amazement as the ODPM brought limited supplies for a community of hundreds of residents. I also saw an ODPM container head up to Mayaro and remain sealed for the evening,” he said. “Initially, I heard the regional corporation had no funds available. But they authorised our team to take supplies on credit at nearby supermarkets. Chairman Hazarie Ramdeen got to Mafeking close to midday on Friday and supplies arrived around 3:30 pm, once again in inadequate amounts. “I was happy to see the chairman riding in a truck transporting residents to safe ground. But it’s unacceptable that the agencies distributed disposable cups and plates, garbage bags, toilet paper and packs of biscuits instead of much-needed canned food and medication. “It’s a crisis in some parts of the constituency, and to make matters worse, there’s been no sign of the Member of Parliament Winston ‘Gypsy’ Peters,” Rambharat said.
Many parts of Mayaro, Mafeking and Rio Claro remain under water after persistent rainfall over the past few days caused the Ortoire River to surge over its banks. On Friday, Rambharat joined councillors for the area Kyron James and Andy Maharaj, as well as aldermen Hamil Hosein and Elitha Bessor, on an exercise to evacuate residents with disabilities and bring supplies to others still trapped in their homes, but the effort was hindered by the slow response of disaster management agencies. “The flooding is unlike anything I have seen in the area for years. Entire homes in Mafeking are covered in water. We have not been able to venture into Cedar Grove.
“The Coast Guard helped, but we are in desperate need of sandbags, mattresses, drinking water and canned food and medication for children and adults. I am asking the ODPM and the Corporation to do more for us.”
