LUCEA, Hanover — The Government is actively working on short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions to address flooding in the Hanover parish capital, Lucea.

Minister of state in the Office of the Prime Minister (West), Homer Davis made the disclosure following a tour Wednesday of the flood-prone areas of the town that is situated below sea level.

He told JIS News that Lucea has been impacted over the years by flooding whenever there is a heavy downpour. The latest episode, which took place on Tuesday, July 16, made sections of the parish capital impassable for several hours.

It is against this backdrop Davis stated that the Government is devising several actions to remedy the recurring problem. He indicated that special focus will be given to the Riley Bridge area where bamboo blocked the flow of the river, causing its banks to overflow.

“… The tractor is beginning to remove some of the debris that was along the roadside, and they are now in the process of removing the [bamboo] debris from the river,” Davis informed.

“Also — based on the consultation with the minister of local government and rural development and the Hanover Municipal Corporation, which has committed $3 million from their emergency fund to do some emergency work as we speak — we’ll go up the Riley River to clean the bamboo from some of those areas and [remove] a lot of dry bamboo that is hanging down in the river,” he added.

Davis explained that medium-term plans will involve the National Works Agency (NWA) and the municipality collaborating on projects.

However, he noted that the long-term goal for Lucea is to construct a bypass.

“We are currently looking at ways in which you can bypass Lucea; the discussion is well advanced. The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation is fully on board, the prime minister of Jamaica is fully on board, and that’s a part of my own mandate to look at how we can bypass Lucea and Hopewell as well,” Davis outlined.

“We have persons already looking at the preliminary route that might be used so we have big plans for the parish of Hanover,” he added.

Mayor of Lucea, Councillor Sheridan Samuels said the municipality will be forming a maintenance team to periodically clean and clear the river of bamboo and other debris.

“I want to say to Lucea, ‘We have been planning [and] have been doing all that we can. We put all the plans in place to ensure that you are safe, and we will continue to do that because we really care about you,’ ” he stated.