(Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, Julien Neaves, 24.Nov.2018) — Energy Minister Franklin Khan says homes demolished in the Santa Flora area this week were located too close to oil wells and the owners were served notice more than a year ago.
He was responding to a question in Parliament on Friday from Naparima MP Rodney Charles on which state agency authorised the demolition of homes in Santa Flora which has caused several citizens to be dislocated.
Khan responded the lands were owned by Trintopec and managed by the Palo Seco Agricultural Enterprises Ltd. He said the properties were located on La Victoria Trace, within an oil-producing area and perilously close to oil wells.
He said three of the nine houses were demolished after the owners were served notice over a year ago.
Charles asked if a state agency acted on its own or the demolition received Cabinet approval but Khan said this type of action did not require Cabinet approval.
Also during the sitting, Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis responded to a question posed by Oropouche West MP Vidia Gayadeen Gopeesingh on reports indicating the Tulsa Trace flood gates are dysfunctional and contributed to massive devastation to both livestock and properties.
Robinson-Regis said the gates were built by the Agriculture Ministry and designed to prevent salt water intrusion. She said the gates had not been functioning for some time and were earmarked to be removed and replaced by the ministry. She added the flooding was not caused by the non-functioning gates but by excessive rain.
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