Black Immigrant Daily News

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Thirty-one-year-old Leon Lewis of Nkrumah Street in Annandale, East Coast Demerara, was on Friday arraigned before Sparendaam Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, among other charges.

The body of Prahalad Sawh at the accident scene on Monday evening

It is alleged that Lewis, who is a clerk at the Health Ministry, on August 15, at Lusignan Public Road, ECD, he drove motorcycle CL 4502 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of 53-year-old Prahalad Sawh.

Dead: Prahalad Sawh

Lewis was placed on $500,000 bail and will return to court on October 13.

He, however, is scheduled to appear in court today to answer charges related to several other traffic offences.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

News

A landslip is currently threatening a portion of the Southern Main Road in Chatham Village.
–

Point Fortin MP Kennedy Richards Jr has assured his constituents that stabilisation work on a massive landslip along the Southern Main Road in Chatham Village is set to resume on Monday if there is no rain.

Several residents have been complaining that landslips on both sides of the road are worsening. It is unsafe, they say, for any car to pass on the narrow remaining strip of the road. They fear that “at any time now,” they could be cut off from the rest of Trinidad and Tobago.

Richards said, “It could happen, but no one knows if or when that could happen.

“The work is getting done. I know that they are frightened, and I am frightened too. Trying to upgrade the road, we must not lose a soul. While I am scared, I must trust the engineers to do their jobs. Kennedy is the remedy, but that does not mean things would be easy.

“The Government is spending upwards of $10 million on this site. This is to ensure that the southwestern peninsula does not get cut off from the rest of the country. The work must be done properly. People are anxious, and I am just as anxious.”

The MP recalled that a contractor had recently started stabilisation work on one side of the road, then stopped because soil-testing results showed that the other side of the road also needed work. That caused a change in the original scope of the project.

He said the change in design to fix both sides, and the bad weather caused a delay in the restart of the work.

Richards said he was being kept abreast of the project and was working to have the problems fixed. The contractor and the Works and Transport Ministry have been working with WASA on the updated design.

A landslip is currently threatening a portion of the Southern Main Road in Chatham Village. –

Richards said, “After this landslip is fixed, there are more 19 remaining from there straight to Icacos. I checked them myself. I spoke to (Works and Transport Minister Rohan) Sinanan, who is willing to help. But he is dealing with 450 landslips throughout the country. Every time he fixes one, he gets two more. That is the challenge we have in the country.

“So while he is working to remedy the situation, others parts are getting damaged. The Government has been supporting wherever it could. If we had more money, we would have had more done.”

Richards said he was also trying to identify alternative routes like an old Ministry of Works road that connects Buenos Ayers, Erin, to Chatham Road South. But that road also has a landslip.

A statement from the PURE Unit of the ministry said construction works on the southern landslip were set to restart on August 2. But there were further land movements owing to the bad weather over the past few weeks.

The statement added that work on the site was set to restart on Monday and is expected to finish by the end of November.

One resident, Rikki Undheim, said the road is the only access route to other parts of Cedros.

“Villagers are waiting for the whole southwest to be isolated from the country. This is the worst I have ever seen this landslip. It was already bad, but after the contractor cleared down the bamboo trees holding up the road, it got worse,” Undheim said.

“God forbid someone is on the road when the road gives in. We are frustrated. There are numerous bad roads in Cedros and other parts of TT. But ours are unsafe, and lives are at risk.”

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

– Advertisement –

CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, emphasising that there are excellent opportunities in ‘new agriculture’ for young people, has urged them to get involved.

“This is the time and the opportunity to say to our young people, get involved. The opportunities in the agricultural sector are there to be taken up and there are gaps which you can bring your new thinking to create further opportunities for yourselves,” the CARICOM official asserted.

Barnett was addressing last week’s opening of the Trinidad and Tobago Agri Investment Forum and Expo.

She explained that ‘smart agriculture’ goes beyond planting and growing systems that incorporate new technologies.

– Advertisement –

In this regard, Barnett noted that there is a growing demand for, among other things – online platforms, extension apps, agricultural marketing apps, drone operators, data analytics, and crop forecast apps.

And she wanted all hands on deck to achieve the food and nutrition security vision, particularly the target of reducing food imports by 25 percent by 2025.

“There is a role for all to play. This is our Region. Our participation and support matter,” Barnett asserted.

She said spreading the word was crucial.

In addition, the CARICOM Secretary-General spoke of the need to encourage everyone to support agricultural commodities the region produces.

“Plant your own backyard gardens; invest in the agricultural value chain. We all have to champion the vision of regional food and nutrition security,” Barnett declared.

– Advertisement –

NewsAmericasNow.com