CEPEP job cuts take toll on communities

Carisa Lee

Reporter

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As the two-month mark approaches since the Government terminated over 10,000 workers from the Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP), residents of west Trinidad are starting to feel the impact.

A 73-year-old resident of Rich Plain Road, who wished to remain anonymous, said yesterday she had to take matters into her own hands by cleaning the areas where CEPEP teams once worked.

“You see up there in a mess since CEPEP leave from up there; it’s me and my son who does clean there, and if I doh clean it, nobody else will clean it,” she shared.

The pensioner told Guardian Media that the CEPEP teams not only kept the community clean but also helped protect residents from diseases linked to exposure to rubbish.

“It go have mosquitoes. Look at how much tyre it have in the back there, it’s endless tyres and they not moving it … It had a time I get so mad I went to the corporation and show them, you know,” she said.

One former employee who was a part of a CEPEP team in the Rich Plain community, said he has been doing odd jobs since contracts were terminated back in June.

“My relative does do electrical, nah, so when he gets lil jobs to wire over house and things, he go call me out,” he said.

The man shared that he feels guilty seeing his community in such a deplorable state now. Unlike before, when he spent his mornings working with CEPEP to clean it, he is now focused on trying to earn a living.

“Where I liming, I go clean, but not everybody will think so. Real people complaining,” he expressed.

“You see how the place looking, all on the Beetham Highway, certain cars can drive off the road because of the mess. You are not seeing the white line good and thing; it’s real mess,” he added.

Along the Diego Martin Highway, near Crystal Stream, the Guardian Media team observed garbage and overgrown grass on both sides of the roadway.

A woman who frequents the area said she got accustomed to seeing the workers out on mornings, noting that since the programme was dissolved, the country has been in a mess.

“The place is not clean; it’s not just here, even in the Maraval area. Anywhere you look, the place is just dirty, the bush is high. Look, for instance, the Savannah. Usually, when it have any concert or anything, it will be cleaned. All over it is just dirty, and the people want the work, so give them the work because the place is looking horrible,” she explained.

On Monday, Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath said they have spoken to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to assist. He said they have increased their maintenance of public spaces and other areas where CEPEP would usually target.

While this was confirmed by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Khadijah Ameen, western Trinidad residents said they have seen no evidence of that.

Guardian Media also visited areas along the Beetham Highway and Eastern Main Road where CEPEP teams would usually operate, and while no one spoke to us, our team noticed rubbish and overgrown grass.