Environmental activist Dr Wayne Kublalsingh has mobilised several civil society groups to sign a petition in support of the proposed new route for the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension. This petition is expected to be delivered to the Office of the Prime Minister today.
Kublalsingh spent yesterday, day 14 of his second hunger strike, outside of the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, with his mother and several Mon Desir residents under umbrellas as they waited for a response on the new proposal. Government has not yet responded to the Highway Re-route Movement’s (HRM) proposal which was announced by leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah, last week.
“I feel that the Prime Minister has before her a very excellent way out of this. It is a way that if she wishes, she can implement it and claim victory for her Government and victory for the people,” Kublalsingh said in an interview. “We (the HRM) don’t have any inclinations about declaring victory in this matter. We want to give all victory to the Prime Minister and the Government of T&T. I think this is a victorious plan. I think she needs to get together with her scientists and do a very close scrutiny of it.”
The plan includes the use of parts of the highway already constructed by the Government, along with connector roads already existing in the Southern communities. “If she has any questions we have a technical team waiting to present her with details,” he said. He said a few organisations had signed on but he would reveal which organisations today.
Kublalsingh seemed to be in high spirits yesterday and said he felt good, despite not having consumed food or water for the past 14 days. “I was in the garden this morning, I spent an hour and a half in a salt water bath. I feel good. “This morning when I left home I felt bad but my spirits are buoyed. I feel good that there is so much media here and so many supporters.” He said he felt dehydrated but his doctor had said his vital signs were still stable as of yesterday.