KINGSTON, Jamaica — The government has earmarked $100 million for the cleaning of drains and clearing of verges across the island. 

The activities form part of national preparations for the 2020 North Atlantic Hurricane season.

The works under this $100 million programme will be carried out by the National Works Agency (NWA) through its parish teams and is slated to commence soon.

NWA Communication and Customer Services Manager, Stephen Shaw, said the programme of works is currently being finalised and will target critical drains located in flood-prone areas in various communities islandwide. 

The NWA said this is the first of three planned flood mitigation programmes of works that will be carried out by the agency over the next six months in relation to the current hurricane season.

Shaw noted that the programme augments some of the works undertaken over the last six months, during which roads and drains have been rehabilitated under the Secondary Roads Programme. 

The agency said over $1 billion was spent during the last fiscal year, which ended in March, under the secondary roads programme, which targeted main and community roads.