MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Community relations officer for the National Works Agency’s (NWA) southernregion Howard Hendriks says following an assessment of a drain on Ward Avenue here on Wednesday blocked by silt, urgent cleaning is needed.

He told the Jamaica Observer that Ward Avenue is a parochial road falling under the responsibility of the Manchester Municipal Corporation.”We were contracted by the parish council to put in drainage, which we did two years ago. With the heavy rain, it seems as if the drain was blocked,” he said on Wednesday during an assessment of the drain.

The NWA sought the assistance of the Manchester fire department to access the drain.”With the assistance of the fire department we went into the drain and saw that there is a deposit of silt, so basically we are going to [determine] whether the municipal corporation or us [NWA] to clear the silt. This is an emergency situation,” said Hendriks.

In recent weeks Mandeville has been affected by afternoon showers causing flooding on a section of Ward Avenue.”You will have water on the surface, but within five to 10 minutes it runs off,” Hendriks said.

Recently there has been widespread debate between Manchester Central Member of Parliament Rhoda Crawford and Mayor of Mandeville Donovan Mitchell over drainage work on Ward Avenue as well as the Greater Mandeville Traffic Management System.

As part of the project a one-way system is to be implemented on a section of Caledonia Road. The one way is to take effect from the intersection of Caledonia Road, Manchester Road and Ward Avenue flowing towards New Green Road where it will end. The project is expected to be completed sometime this month.

Among the roads and intersections to be signalised under the Greater Mandeville Traffic Management System are North Race Course Road to Main Street, North Race Course Road to Caledonia Road, Villa Road to Main Street, South Race Course Road, Caledonia Road, Park Crescent, Manchester Road, Perth Road, and Greenvale Road.