Reporter
carisa.lee@cnc3.co.tt
With Trinidad’s Tropical Storm Warning being downgraded to Adverse Weather Alert yesterday, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Faris Al-Rawi says the next stage or risk for Trinidad will be water levels in the river. “We in the Government are paying very close attention to what our water run-off is going to look like,” he said.
The minister was updating the public and the media at a press briefing yesterday.
Al-Rawi said that at 7 am yesterday, the Arouca River was at 42.5 per cent capacity, South Oropouche at 13 per cent, El Carmen at 26 per cent, Caroni at 40 per cent, and North Oropouche at ten per cent.
Al-Rawi said with a downgraded system for Hurricane Beryl and the area of low pressure, AL96, expected tomorrow, all eyes were on flood- and landslide-prone zones.
“There is, therefore, the need for self-assessment. Certainly, there is no evacuation call, what there is, is a call for preparation, we need to be prepared for the effects of water,” he said.
Hurricane shelters
Al Rawi said six of the 97 shelters earmarked became active during the passage of Hurricane Beryl. He said a total of 12 people, six adults and six children, approached the St Helena Community Centre for care.
The minister added that five people turned up at a shelter at the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation. He said it was later deactivated.
Schools reopen
Meanwhile, schools are expected to be back on schedule today.
Al-Rawi said on Sunday because of the Red and Orange Level alerts, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley gave the green light to close schools after consultation with Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly and other ministers.
“With the downgrade of the situation, therefore, we can logically expect schools to return to normal tomorrow,” he said.
The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) also closed all public schools on the island yesterday. Schools reopen today on the island.
Public utilities update
Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales revealed yesterday that 11 water treatment plants were out of operation in Trinidad and four in Tobago.
“All of those plants are currently out of operation as a result of flooded river conditions and clogged streams,” he explained.
He said the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) activated all of its equipment and operators in north Trinidad as they expected some of the plants to be out of operation. He added that as soon as river levels dropped, equipment and operators would be responding to return plants to full operation.
“All plants in south Trinidad are in full operation,” Gonzales said.
In Tobago, a disruption to the electricity supply at four water treatment plants affected their operation. The minister said that as soon as the electricity grid was stabilised, the plants would return to full operation.
Meanwhile, the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) recorded 102 disruptions or outages across both islands. “Crews have been mobilised, contractors have been mobilised, and as soon as it’s safe to do so, crews and contractors will be heading out to those areas to restore electricity supply when it is safe to do so,” Gonzales said.