KSAC using money for road repairs to clean drains
THE Kingston and St Andrew Corporation has decided to use money earmarked for road repairs to do emergency cleaning of drains and gullies in the city.
Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie told the Observer that councillors attending an emergency meeting of the council yesterday voted for the estimated $8 million July draw-down from the Parochial Revenue Fund to be used to clean “crucial” gullies.
The mayor said the decision was taken to divert the money from the Parochial Revenue Fund for drain-cleaning as no funds were forthcoming from Central Government to clean the drains and gullies in the Corporate Area, noting that some were already choked following heavy rains Wednesday and yesterday.
McKenzie said eight gullies have been identified for urgent cleaning if flooding during the rainy season is to be avoided.
They are the D’Aguillar Gully, the Pine St Gully, and the Tivoli, Schumaker, Lyndford, Drew, Tinson Pen and Colladiun gullies.
But the mayor said the estimated $8 million from the Parochial Fund would not be enough to clean these gullies.
“. We will clean those that we can clean and hope for the best,” he said.
He noted that a number of areas in the city have been affected by flooding from the heavy rains this week.
“We have been getting reports (of flooding) from Cross Roads, Hagley Park, Grants Pen, New Haven, Duhaney Park, Elletson Road and Red Hills Road,” he said.
Last week water from the Schumaker (Mother White) Gully flooded the ground floor of the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and damaged computers, photocopy machines, office records and seven cars owned by employees. Residents of Rose Town were also affected by the flooding and several complained of losing furniture, livestock and other valuables.
Meanwhile, the National Works Agency (NWA) said yesterday that it had intensified its drain-cleaning programme across the island.
The programme, which is expected to cost $100 million, started on June 30 and will target flood-prone areas in 11 parishes. According to the NWA, U44 drains will be bushed, widened and realigned.
“Work is presently underway on the Hartlands and Portmore outfall drains in St Catherine; Morant/Johnson River in St Thomas; Treasure Beach/Great Bay in St Elizabeth; Negro River in St Ann and Grange Hill drains in Westmoreland,” the agency said.
The NWA’s disaster mitigation project manager, Alton Fisher, said the works, which include river training in some areas, should be completed in eight weeks. He said the programme is geared at preventing and minimising damage to the island’s road network.
