Beetham and Sea Lots residents yesterday pleaded with Minister of the Environment and Water Resources Ganga Singh for “sustainable” employment. The residents were employed in the Port-of-Spain Outfall Clean-up Project which started on September 5 and cost $14 million. They were speaking at an appreciation ceremony at the Radisson Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
Two of the workers—Kareem Marselle and Elijah Mitchell—asked the minister for employment to continue. Marselle said “sustainable development” was necessary for the community. Mitchell said the residents worked hard to clean the drains and even found an engine block and ply boards among the debris. Singh assured the workers there would be work available. He said they removed 570,000 cubic metres of silt at a depth of six metres. This was dredged away from an area known as The Cove.
The work was done through the collaboration of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), the Port-of-Spain Corporation and the ministry. However, Singh said what the workers did was an intermediate solution and a permanent solution was necessary to rid the flooding problem in Port-of-Spain. He said one project in the making would be with Clear Water Gardens which would be located opposite Beetham Gardens.
Singh said the water which ran out of the treatment plant was clean and could be reused. “This will represent a gateway to Port-of-Spain that will be sustained by the WASA and provide an opportunity for the water to be utilised. “It is one step away from approval and when they speak it will bring sustainable employment for residents in that area,” he said. Singh said in January work would continue with the underground drainage cleaning.
“This is the responsibility of the corporation because we cannot allow the flooding to continue and those who are here will continue to be employed,” he added. He said a transmission main would be removed on Monday and soon landscaping for Clear Water Gardens would start. “People who work hard must be given the chance for sustainable employment,” he added.