CABINET has approved $134 million to undertake an immediate programme of drain-cleaning in some flood- prone communities, prime minister P J Patterson said in a nationwide broadcast Sunday.

Patterson said work should begin shortly in Nine Miles, Ten Miles and Bull Bay, in St Thomas. Work is also scheduled to commence in Osbourne Store, Flemings and Jacks Gully in Clarendon, Swift River and Bybrook in Portland, as well as Portmore, Hartlands, Bushy Park and the Vineyards in St Catherine.

The prime minister said the government was aware of the perennial problem of flooding which causes damage to major road networks, bridges, gullies and drainage systems, pointing out that the factors taken into consideration in identifying areas for priority flood protection treatment included the number of persons affected, vulnerability of the population and the volume of traffic that use our roadways and bridges.

He appealed to Jamaicans to stop the unhealthy and dangerous practice of disposing garbage in rivers, gullies and drains, noting that a large percentage of the flooding problem could be prevented.

“Stop blocking the drains and throwing garbage in the gullies. Please cooperate and save yourselves and the country severe damage which can easily be avoided by our good conduct,” the prime minister said.