By Erica James-King, Staff Reporter WESTERN BUREAU:
A DEADLINE has been set for the commencement of drainage work along the Flankers main road in St. James, in a bid to arrest the recurring flooding problems, which have been dogging that section of roadway for many years.
Jose Cartellonie, the contracting firm responsible for the construction of Segment II of the North Coast Highway, has given the National Works Agency (NWA) the commitment that work will start within two weeks.
"The mobilisation by Jose Cartellonie is taking place," said Vando Palmer, the Corporate Communications and Customer Services Manager with the NWA. "They are bringing down equipment from elsewhere in the island and we are hoping that by next week, work will begin on the construction of a new drain."
According to Mr. Palmer, because of the problems created when it rains, the work planned for the Flankers area under Segment II of the North Coast Highway has to be brought forward. The Flankers main road is the main thoroughfare leading into Montego Bay.
Originally plans were in the pipeline for the resurfacing of the road, the realignment of some sections and the construction and repairs of the drainage systems from Montego Bay to Trelawny under the last component of the North Coast High Way Segment II, which is slated for completion during 2004.
However, because of the flooding problems, a decision has been taken to construct a new drain, starting this month. Road repairs plan for the Flankers main road and other sections of the road linking St. James to Trelawny will have to wait until the last component of the North Coast Highway Segment II is ready to be addressed.
While pointing out that NWA is doing its bit to correct the flooding problems, Mr. Palmer is appealing to other public sector entities to do more to curb the flooding problems at its source.
"Other governmental agencies need to nip the flooding problems at the roots. The drain the NWA is building is almost at the end of the problem," Mr. Palmer said. "The relevant government agencies must work with communities on the Flankers hillside to stem the silting and improper garbage disposal which are clogging up the drains."
According to Mr. Palmer, the National Environment and Planning Agency, the Ministry of Water and Housing, the Ministry of Land and Environment and the Local Government Ministry need to collaborate in an effort to get residents and housing contractors to tackle the problems of rapid soil erosion and garbage woes, which have a ripple effect on the drains.
The residents of Flankers, who see the flooding problem as a major nuisance to them, are appealing to the Parish Council to crack down on residents who use gullies and street corners as dumping ground. They are also calling for a comprehensive drain construction programme in Flankers and in the lands at Providence Heights, which has been cleared by government for the Relocation 2000 Programme.
