ST ANDREW, Jamaica — St Andrew Western Member of Parliament Anthony Hylton says recurring flooding in the New Haven community will persist unless urgent action is taken to address conditions along the Duhaney River.

“Whenever it rains, I just start reading and start praying, because I know what the results will be,” he said while speaking at the Duhaney Park Divisional Conference on Saturday at Edith Dalton James High School.

Hylton acknowledged that the dredging of the river will come at a high cost, but said that without action, residents will keep facing the same flood damage and disruption.

“We have gone to this Government, we have asked, we have made representation, and I believe…the last effort we are on now, [is] to bring the data together, to demonstrate that unless the Duhaney River is dredged, we cannot address, in a fundamental way, the problems along Riverside Drive, and along all the other roads in New Haven.”

Hylton explained that the riverbed is higher than the land, and once it rains, the water runs straight from what should be the river course into the community.

“I’ve already made my petition to the Government that NaRRA [National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority] should address the situation in New Haven because that’s where the resources are. They said they’re putting it in place because of the need for resilience, meaning that climate change is a factor in that,” he said.

The Opposition MP noted that while the People’s National Party (PNP) has fundamental issues with the NaRRA legislation, particularly regarding transparency and accountability, the authority is now part of the law.

With NaRRA in place, Hylton argued that the Government cannot complain that the resources are not available. He pledged to continue advocating for funding to ensure New Haven receives its fair share of support to address the longstanding flooding issues.