FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Roland Haye, the programme director at the 20-year-old Trelawny Environmental Protection Association (TEPA) has warned that the development of this historic town to accommodate mega cruise liners, could lead to widespread flooding and environmental disaster.

"We are likely to have some serious flooding," he told the Observer West. "Going forward we are having what is called global warming and since Falmouth is already at sea level, so if we are going to have rising seas and a storm surge were to take place in a hurricane, then you are going to have increased possibility of flooding in the town," he explained.

Haye who is a well-known environmentalist, as well as the regional coordinator for Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), said sections of Falmouth including Falmouth Gardens, parts of Market Street, as well as Tharpe Street, are among many streets likely to be badly affected.

" We have had flooding in the past but now with less area for the absorption of water, it is likely to be more severe and it will affect both individual households, as well as businesses," he told the Observer West.

Some $7.5 billion is being spent by Royal Caribbean Cruise Limited and the Port Authority of Jamaica to development the Falmouth harbour.

Scheduled for completion in November, the terminal's marine works include construction of a finger pier capable of accommodating two 'megaliner' cruise ships simultaneously.

Consequent to the massive development, plans are being finalised to relocate a number of facilities and business establishments, including the municipal market and car park, to other sections of the small town.

At present, more than 20 acres of the swamp lands on a section of Market Street is being dumped for the constructions of the new market a transportation centre

Opposite that site several other acres of the wetlands are being dumped to construct a sewage plant.

"What they are doing now is destroying the most productive systems for fish and wild life, so you are going to have problems in terms of flooding because the mangrove acts as a sponge and mops up all the excess water, so when you dump up all of that, where is the water going to go?" he asked.

"My thing is that it is going to go into to Falmouth and cause flooding," he answered.

Haye noted that several meters of the coral reef-- not too far from the town's shoreline-- was hacked away and the harbour dredged to facilitate the construction of the pier.

"Even before work started my objection was that based on the plan there would be the destruction of coral reefs, mangroves and the breeding ground for fish," he said.

He added that the destruction of the coral reefs will result in shoreline erosion because "stronger waves will now hit the shorelines because the reef will no longer be there as a barrier."

The environmentalist said, while he is not against Falmouth being developed as a cruise shipping pier, more steps should have been taken to protect the town.

" What they could have done for example is to beth the ships outside the harbour and use small boats to take then to land but the developers did not do that one. Instead they went for the more destructive option," he lamented.

But chairman of the Trelawny Parish Council mayor Colin Gager yesterday disagreed with Haye's position, arguing that he does not believe that the development would impact negatively on the town.

He noted that systems are being put in place to prevent flooding in the town.

"A number of drains are going to be constructed, while others will be rehabilitated, so I believe that the overflow of water in the town will flow into the sea," he told the Observer West.

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