More than a mile of the coast at Icacos has disappeared into the sea, leaving behind sea-beaten coconut trees, remnants of houses and chunks of cracked asphalt from the road. This was evident yesterday as a ministerial team led by Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma, Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh, Works Minister Jack Warner and Senator David Abdulah conducted a tour at the south-western peninsula. The erosion was most evident at the Icacos Main Road, close to the Constance and St Andrews coconut estates.
Toppled telephone lines hung over the roadway which led straight into the sea. The trunks of the coconut trees littered the shoreline as the sea lapped onto the road. Resident Wilber Isaac said the area once had a lighthouse, but this, too, was claimed by the sea. "There used to be a savannah here, but that too has gone," he said. "Two houses already collapsed into the sea and each day more and more of the coast is falling into the water," Isaac said. Meanwhile, at Icacos Village, stagnant pools of water were seen around the houses.
Mosquitoes buzzed around, and residents said they were unable to leave their homes at nights, because of the invasion. Abdulah, who addressed the residents, said he planned to file a report with the Ministry of Works, regarding the concerns of the residents. "Much of what has to be done in Icacos falls under his portfolio, so we plan to set up a team to look at the drainage problems and to work at solutions to alleviate this problem of flooding," he said. He said work must be urgently done to deal with the coastal erosion. "We didn't know it was so bad, so we were happy to visit the area to get a first-hand look," Abdulah said.
Warner, who spoke with reporters, said steps would be taken as early as this week to deal with the drainage issues. He said a ministerial team would visit the area after the July 26 elections, and once councillor Fitzroy Beache was elected, the Government would work closely with him to ease the suffering of the people. "We have to send our engineers to see what the problems are and how we can help short term and long term," the Works Minister said. "This peninsula is sinking into the sea so therefore I give the assurance today as Minister of Works that in ten days time, our engineers would come here to see what could be done...I will come here, too.
"We have to cut the grass and clear the drains...the grass on the recreation grounds is high, we must do what is necessary. "Cedros is part of Trinidad and far too often people believe that this country stops at Nestle's or at San Fernando...The people must get to Cedros and do the work here." Warner said the Government would work assiduously to improve life in the peninsula.