Plans are in the pipeline to restore an historic water tank at Caparo in central Trinidad. The 150-year-old tank stands in a rusted state along the Caparo Valley Brasso Road in the vicinity of Sonny Man Park.
Caparo pensioner Paras Ramoutar, 76, said he has been pleading for years for the preservation of the tank. Ramoutar said in the Colonial days the tank once supplied water to the community when the then Central Water Distribution Authority (the water entity before WASA) failed to send water to the village.
He said "With the closure of the railway in 1965, it remains a kind of bankrupt piece of iron... I feel one day that it may collapse and fall on top of someone." Ramoutar said the tank has a 10,000-gallon capacity and was used to supply water to steam driven locomotives.
The train connected rural and agricultural communities including Enterprise, Depot Hall, Todds Road, Caparo, Mamoral Crossing, Brasso Piedra, Flanagin Town, Brasso, Tabaquite, Mitchell’s Gap, TCO, Brother’s Road, San Pedro, Dades Trace and Rio Claro until 1965.
Ramoutar said the train stopped in Caparo for an hour or so to fill its engine.
John Lezama, the councilor for Caparo/ Mamoral on the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo/ Regional Corporation (CTTRC) said the tank, along with other historical structures and sites will be restored as part of the economic development plans for the area.
Lezama said officials from the CTTRC will be visiting the area next week to assess the site and then invite other stakeholders in the tourism industry to view the area.
He expects the project to commence by the end of the year should all the paperwork run smoothly. Lezama said the region has a lot to offer by way of tourism which can act as an income generator for persons living in these communities.
Lezama said work is also planned for Knollys Tunnel which attracts numerous visitors weekly. He said the CTTRC would also be working with privately owned Cocoa Panyol Museum at Flanagin. Talks are also being held with private cocoa estate owners to boost their income through hosting events such as weddings and conferences. Lezama said "We have a lot to offer by way of domestic tourism. I envision that people from all over T&T would love to have their weddings, conferences and family events on a cocoa estate. This formula has worked well for the existing La Vega Estate and there is no need to reinvent the wheel but a need to expand on this successful product."
Foster Cummings, the MP for the area, said he would be lending his support to Lezama in this drive to improve the community and would make the necessary representations where needed.