Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:13 hours 19 min ago
Gypsy visits flood-ravaged families
Published: 11 Aug 2009
Mayaro MP Winston “Gypsy” Peters, left, listens to Cecil Persad at his damaged house at Mahabalsingh Branch Trace, Rio Claro, yesterday. Photo: Rishi Ragoonath
Mayaro MP, Winston “Gypsy” Peters has called for better disaster preparedness measures to be implemented so that victims may be effectively assisted. Peters made the call yesterday as he visited his constituents at Mahabalsingh Branch Trace, Navet Village, Rio Claro, whose roofs were blown off during gusty winds and heavy rains over the weekend.
As he stood in the yard of a house belonging to Cecil Persad, Peters painted a grim picture of the nation’s disaster relief system. “The day we have a real disaster in this country we are in trouble,” he said, as he looked at a section of Persad’s roof which was blown off and remained lodged in the branches of a nearby tree. Persad’s family of 11 was forced to move most of their furniture and appliances to the home of a neighbour. What could not be moved was covered with sheets of tarpaulin and stored in the driest areas of the house.
Peters said, “This is a farming community and people depend on their gardens to live. “If our agencies cannot handle these isolated cases properly, what would happen to us if something worse happens? “We have to look for all the help we can find and the system has to kick in to bring relief.” A short distance away, Vishnu Ramkissoon had placed two sheets of tarpaulin where his roof used to be. He said his daughter’s CXC text books and all her note books were destroyed when the roof blew off and the rains poured into the house. “It will be difficult to get back on our feet because school is opening just now and we have to try to replace everything that was lost,” Ramkissoon said.
Lucky for Laventille &
Lucky for Laventille & Morvant-/Diego-they don't have to worry about floods--they get all the handouts from manning too!! poor southerners have to starve as their crops are destroyed--homes flooded & furniture/appliances destroyed!
Our People in Trouble When
Our People in Trouble
When the floods came, we are not prepared. This is same story each and every time. Mr. Peters, as the M.P. visits with his constituents. He is in the Opposition and there is very little he can do to ease their pain, except to speak up for them. His presence among them gives them some comfort knowing that their politician whose paycheque comes from their labour schedule the time to meet with them. Where is our Local Gov't Minister, Mrs. Manning ... why is she not wading in the floods to visit the people she is paid to look out for. We have so far been very lucky, we have not experienced a high level earthquake, hurricane, chemical explosion, etc. But we could face disaster at any time. Look closely at the people in Japan, China, India, etc. who are suffering because of earthquakes and Typhoons ... Our turn may come sooner than we expect ... Is our Disaster Relief bodies prepared and ready for action? We must speak up for all our people in this country - from Laventille to Mayaro and Cedros ... as we cannot predict when we might find ourselves in similar danger.