KINGSTON, Jamaica — Dennis Gordon, the People’s National Party (PNP) spokesperson on Urban Renewal and Redevelopment, is urging the Government to address the “neglected” Sandy Gully, a key drainage channel in the Corporate Area, citing the imminent threat to lives and property due to years of underinvestment.

In a statement on Sunday, Gordon said that the recent flooding of the Corporate Area has heightened the need for the issue to be treated with urgency, stressing that the situation demands not only emergency repairs but also a dedicated percentage of the national capital budget for long-term rehabilitation, maintenance and management of Jamaica’s major drainage systems.

“The Sandy Gully is no longer a routine maintenance matter. It is a national infrastructure emergency,” said Gordon. “We cannot continue to wait for disaster before we act. The time has come for a strategic, well-funded and sustainable plan to secure the lives and livelihoods of residents living along and downstream of this vital waterway.”

Gordon is also calling on the Government, through the National Works Agency (NWA) and other relevant state bodies to provide all available engineering reports and detailed structural assessments of the main channel, culverts, outlets, and drains associated with the Sandy Gully.

He further urged the Government to undertake or acquire existing socio-economic surveys of communities adjoining the gully to understand the full human and economic impact. Additionally, Gordon is requesting that all comprehensive records of all upgrades and maintenance works carried out on the Sandy Gully over the last 20 years be provided.

He stressed the importance of utilising cadastral maps and data on land tenure for properties located along the gully corridor to support informed redevelopment and relocation policies and called for the Government to develop or provide evidence of a comprehensive urban redevelopment and drainage management plan, including environmental enforcement, proper waste management systems and a schedule for routine maintenance.

Gordon reiterated that without a dedicated funding mechanism within the capital budget, rehabilitation efforts will remain reactive and piecemeal, exposing vulnerable communities to repeated cycles of destruction and recovery.