PM Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that families, farmers, and businesses impacted in the east of the country will be financially compensated to aid their recovery. Several communities in the east and south-east of Dominica were critically affected when a November 6 climactic event damaged the Trough system that supported the areas.
Skerrit and members of his cabinet toured the affected areas recently and announced that it would be best for vulnerable communities to be relocated to other parts of the country to forestall future environmental hazards. He said his government will also rebuild several communities to restore utility functions and access roads among other social infrastructure.
This month families will start receiving household allowances. Each family will get an allowance to support their family. We will also be supporting farmers and businesses that would have also been impacted by the storms.
Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica
The prime minister said before the trough damage which affected many communities in the east, his administration had been working round the clock to boost environmental resilience in the affected areas by constructing passable roads, bridges, drainages, and other services to reduce the chances of environmental damage.
Of note is the $127 million deployed to construct roads from Emerald Pool in Castle Bruce through the Kalinago Territory to Pagua; Skerrit said the road from Castle Bruce to Petite Soufriere will also be done in due course.
There is one hamlet in Petite Soufriere that has been cut off and we are seeking to create some level of access so people can benefit from the properties there.
Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Good Hope Village Council, Achille Grove, has announced the readiness of the village to relocate to a safer area following repeated landslides in the area. He lamented that the village is suffering from water shortages, power outages, and impassable road networks due to about 25 environmental incidents in the surrounding regions.
He said village leaders have been trying to provide aid packages to residents, but many are already moving to other areas to safeguard their lives and properties. Grove urged the government to come to their aid and to facilitate the process for relocating the village to a better region to protect islanders.
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