We have been experiencing drought like conditions in Trinidad for the past two months or so. Temperatures are between 35-37 degrees celcius daily and not a drop of water is falling from the sky. Forest fires are raging and many people are without water as the dams are low and water is being rationed in many areas.
I actually passed through the Santa Cruz valley on Friday and was amazed by what I saw. I have seen bush fires from a distance in the past but nothing like this, nothing so bad in my life. Whole hills completely burnt down, with fires still raging and still burning close to people's houses way up high. When I say close to their houses I mean a few yards from them, these houses were in serious danger of being burnt down.
Below is one resident of Maraval's rant on what is going on, while the hills are burning next to nothing is being done.
I'm not surprised really, while people are in hospital having to stay in Emergency on a bench because there are no beds, people dying because there are no drugs, what's a little hill fire, so what if your houses are in danger. Its far more important to have a new centre for the arts, new stadiums to build...forget schools and improving security for the nation, lets host another Summit instead spend millions on that and care not a wit about the people in the country, because after all we can hide the embarrassing bits behind a wall, no leader of another country or his entourage need ever see them. There is no crime problem, there is no real water problem, there is no education or health care crisis, everything is fine and honkey dorie, lets fix the Prime Minister's already lavish accommodation god knows the man works so very hard and we won't even let him have his own private jet.
As I sit here writing this I hear on the news that a house was burnt to the ground by a bushfire in Siparia...a family homeless.
The weather forecast is pretty grim, but more frightening than all these bush fires raging around the entire country is the fact that when the rains do come, because of the fires, many would be in an even worse position than they are now...when the rains come, these same houses will be threatened by landslides. Oh joy!
8 hours ago
6 comments:
Sad and Scary :( I miss the rain so much, i hope it returns soon, but in moderation not all at once else we be more screwed.
the house that burnt was my family home, i grew up there and now 12 members of my family are homeless, left with onlt the clothes on their backs. Manning must be nice and warm in his bed tonight though. There was not enough water to extinguish the blaze.
Anonymous I'm so sorry to hear that it was your family home and that so many people are now homeless. I hope that your family soon has somewhere and receive the help they need.
Icewolf: I miss the rains too, but with all the soil erosion being caused by the fires I fear the worse for the rainy season
Controlled burns in the rainy season are the only answer. If the authorities won't do it, perhaps you could organize a neighbourhood thing.
We had the first rain since November on Monday. A month's rain in the first seven minutes. One hundred million dollars worth of damage so far. So many cars dented by tennis ball sized hail, will be a year before all can be repaired. Careful what you wish for.
Look where we reach. If Manning is given more time he will ensure Trinidad and Tobago is destroyed. But what is worse is his mindless followers in and out of Cabinet who don't give a dam about anything else besides cutting dry grass to make something resembling a living.
6 of one, half-dozen of the other. Sad.
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