Headlines:
| Millions on drain cleaning programme |
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| Saturday, 10 May 2008 | |
Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry has signed off on
a major flood mitigation programme for the cleaning of critical drains across
the country ahead of the upcoming hurricane season.Fifty major drains across the island are to be cleaned at a cost of approximately $77 million. "We are instigating this as a matter of urgency. It's a first expenditure of $100 million to start the cleaning of emergency drains and I will be discussing with the various Members of Parliament and with the ministry officers overall an assessment that we can try to be proactive rather than reactive," said Mr. Henry. The project was ratified following a meeting this week between the Transport minister and National Works Agency (NWA) parish managers. Another meeting with the NWA team is scheduled for May 22, to finalise plans for the drain cleaning project and the agency's broader response plans for the hurricane season. The programme is expected to start by May 31. Drains in Spanish Town in deplorable condition The initiation of the flood mitigation project should be welcome news for opposition members of the St. Catherine Parish Council. Just this week, Councillor for the De La Vega City Division, the People's National Party's Enos Lawrence blasted the government for failing to address problems with roads and drains in the parish. Addressing the recent meeting of the Council, Mr. Lawrence complained that the Ministry of Transport and Works is focusing all its efforts on road and drainage networks in the Corporate Area, while sections of the old capital are neglected. "At present, they are in a deplorable condition ... I'm appealing to the Minister to look at Spanish Town in a serious way." Recently Councillors requested that the government set aside special funding for repairs in the Spanish Town drainage system especially ahead of the start of the hurricane season in June. |