There is a major lack of enforcement of building codes in T&T, allowing unscrupulous homeowners and businesspeople to construct on riverbanks, ultimately causing flooding.
This is the view of Society of Planners’ president Grace Les Fouris, who also worked in the Planning Division for 25 years.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday about the recent flooding issues across the country, Les Fouris explained that building on riverbanks is a major problem.
She said it violates the 45-metre building setback that was imposed by the Town and Country Planning Division. Les Fouris said the code was created decades ago to ensure watercourses could be accessed for dredging when needed and to protect the population.
“I really do not know if the division still enforces this requirement,” she said.
Les Fouris said another issue contributing to flooding is that a lot of the land area where houses are built lies on the flood plains of major rivers and tributaries.
“Note that the function of a flood plain is to retain stormwater until it is run off from the land, not a place to build anything. Also, in the good old days, houses in such areas were erected on columns. Many or most of these homeowners have since enclosed the ground floors for living purposes,” Les Fouris said.
She said developments on hillsides also contribute to the flooding problem.
“Development is taking place on our hillsides without the drainage infrastructure that would ensure the proper removal of stormwater,” she said.
With regards to enforcement, Les Fouris said the new legislation on planning is supposed to help.
“It all has to do with enforcement. They know this is happening. They know that people are building on the riverbanks and then on top of that, when they are flooded out they are compensated and there should be a way that compensation is based on the ability for you to prove that you have permission (to build).”