FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Preparation for the upcoming hurricane season in the seaside town of Falmouth received a major boost on Labour Day, as the Trelawny Municipal Corporation’s (TMC) parish project cleared scores of debris from the massive earth drain that runs through the town and empties into the sea.

There was a buzz of activity along the drain, known locally as the drag line or daggie, as heavy-duty equipment cleared silt from the stagnant water. Two workers on a raft used a chainsaw to cut branches from overhanging trees while representatives of the TMC, the Ministry of Labour, and other agencies volunteered to cut thick bushes from the roadway beside the drain.

In the days before, in preparation for the heavy lifting done on Labour Day, workers had used machetes to chop trees beside the drain, and cleared a massive illegal garbage dump in the area.

“The clearing of the drain augurs well for our hurricane season preparation. This is the major drain that transports water out of the town to the sea so you can imagine when it is clogged [that] the water could overflow on the road and result in damage to property — and we want to prevent that,” mayor of Falmouth and chairman of the TMC, Councillor C Junior Gager told the Jamaica Observer.

In an effort to curb the rampant illegal dumping of solid waste into and near the drain, Gager said “No dumping” signs will be installed in the area.

“After we have completed the clean-up exercise we will be doing an educational drive where we will be saying to you, ‘Read the sign, follow the sign, do what you’re supposed to do. Protect your environment, keep your environment and your surroundings clean’,” he added.

The Falmouth mayor also revealed that the municipal corporation will closely monitor the area and take punitive action against violators.

“We will be working closely with NSWMA [National Solid Waste Management Authority]; they will be coming in too. In fact, we have already started working with them because there are some other areas that people have been dumping and so we are monitoring on a daily basis. We are driving through these areas just to see, and if we catch anyone we must do what we have to do. We would be happy, though, if everyone takes heed and don’t allow this to happen,” he said.

Kayon Hall, chief engineering officer for the TMC, explained that drain cleaning will continue after Labour Day.

“This is actually a stabilisation drain; when the tide is high on one other side it sends water to the other side and vice versa when the tide changes. It’s a major drain that helps to keep water out of the town,” Hall said.

Meanwhile, Samoy Sinclair, acting chief executive officer of the TMC, lauded volunteers who participated in the project.

“We thank all the supporters, the various agencies: Scotiabank, [National] Solid Waste Management Authority, and the community that came out,” she said.

Other major Labour Day projects in the historic town included sprucing up of the Falmouth Public General Hospital and the neighbouring Falmouth Police Station.

Both projects were heavily supported by RIU Aquarelle Hotel which provided paint and tools, workers, refreshments, and lunch for participants.

Heavy-duty equipment being used to remove silt from the drag line in Falmouth on Labour Day. (Horace Hines)

A RIU Aquarelle worker painting a section of Falmouth Police Station on Labour Day. (Horace Hines)

Volunteers fill garbage bags with plastic bottles removed from the ‘drag line’ in Falmouth on Labour Day. (Horace Hines)