TANCOO: Government must stop its negligence of Mosquito Creek

At today’s sitting of the House of Representatives (Monday May 29, 2023), the MP for Oropouche West, Dave Tancoo posed an Urgent Question to the Minister of Works and Transport as follows:

“With regard to a recent report in circulation depicting approximately 750′(ft) of collapsed road reserve along the seaward side of the Mosquito Creek which has fallen into the sea due to persistent tidal erosion, will the Minister inform the House what urgent steps, if any, will be taken to address this immediate and dangerous development which poses a grave threat to motorists and members of the public?”

Responding to the Question in his maiden appearance in the House, junior Minister in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Senator Richie Sookhai admitted that the Government was unaware of this very public issue, which began since January last year (2022). President of the Debe to Pt. Fortin Action Committee, Mr. Edward Moodie yesterday posted a video on social media showing the extent of the damage, not just by persistent tidal erosion but also as a result of the Government’s complete negligence and lack of due diligence in following through with the ongoing works.

The video can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/100026504717543/videos/1044576933178808/

In fumbling through his response, Senator Sookhai stated that, “The Ministry of Works and Transport currently right now is not aware of any recent reports of the tidal erosion at the Mosquito Creek whereby the 750 feet of roadway has collapsed so we are then requesting maybe further information.” Through this most unfortunate response, the junior Minister suggested that not a single person in the Ministry of Works and Transport was aware of what is taking place in full public view at the Mosquito Creek. This was evident as Minister Sookhai in reply, appealed to Opposition MP Tancoo for assistance in alerting the Ministry to the issue; one that is already known to all who traverse the Mosquito Creek road.

The Minister also stated, “Furthermore, the Ministry through the efforts of NIDCO continues to treat the roadway at the Mosquito Creek with high priority. Currently there is a proposal put forward by NIDCO in review right now and we are looking at other viable options and to be able to find the best fit solution for this current issue.”

This curiously contradictory response has done nothing but invoke the question as to where is the due diligence on the part of the Ministry of Works & Transport, NIDCO and its contractors, to bring to the Government’s attention the threat that exists at the Mosquito Creek.

So one the one hand the Minister was saying that he and the Ministry were unaware of the problem and on the other hand he was boasting that NIDCO was treating the roadway at the Creek as “high priority”. This is incompetence at the highest.

MP Tancoo said that there are two (2) Ministers in the Ministry of Works and Transport and both of them have failed and are blissfully unaware of what is happening on their own worksites!

In his reply to a supplemental question by the MP for Oropouche West, Senator Sookai stated that taxpayers were at present funding 22 contractors who were engaged in Coastal Protection Preservation works at a cost of almost $263,000,000.00. MP Tancoo in reply said that he found no comfort in the Minister’s response that the Ministry is not aware of the issue and although the Minister claims that substantial work is being done everywhere else in coastal remediation, no work has been done to even recognize and acknowledge that such a crisis exists at the Mosquito Creek.

The Member for Oropouche West therefore calls on the Government to take immediate steps to have this most serious matter fully investigated with a view towards swift resolution in order to arrest the danger currently posed to motorists and members of the public.

According to Tancoo, “It has now been sixteen (16) months since the collapse of part of the paved section of the highway on the same Mosquito Creek and to date, the Ministry has failed to inform the population of the status of the investigation Report, the cost of the repair or on any indication of when the work will be done. It is time that the PNM stop treating South Trinidad with disrespect!”