WESTERN BUREAU:
THE ST. JAMES Parish Council is in need of approximately $76 million to implement a flood programme to rectify damage done by the recent torrential and flood rains back in the years 2001 and 2002.
A report compiled by Tubal Brown, the Superintendent of Roads and Works for St. James, and his technical team was presented to a special meeting of the Council on Tuesday. The report and a request for funding were subsequently sent off to the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.
TOP PRIORITY
Based on the report, top priority is being given to the need to re-establish communication for families marooned in the Rose Hall Division, where untold damage was done to some roads, retentive structures and drainage systems by the heavy rains which lashed the area between January 27 and 30.
According to Mr. Brown's report, in the Rose Hall Division, where the worst damage was reported, at least $10 million is urgently needed to restore even single lane traffic to enable those persons, who are now cut off to reconnect with other areas. The most seriously affected roads in the division are the Paisley/Rose Hall, Bottom Paisley, Cornwall/Zion, Barrett Town/Spot Valley, Rose Hill and Palmyra.
Some of the other areas of the parish, which also encountered serious road damage include Granville/Retirement, Tucker, Sunderland/Lottery, Dumfries/
Canaan, Chatham/Content, Ironshore/Coral Gardens, Torado Heights, Goodwill, Adelphi, Burnt Ground, Shortwood Road and West Avenue. In the City of Montego Bay, several road surfaces have been seriously scarred and drains clogged.
In addition to the horrifying road situation, Superintendent Brown has also found out that the water supply systems, particularly in the vicinity of scarred catchment areas, has also been seriously affected.
Against the background that there are typhoid endemic areas in the parish, which is currently served by the Council's minor water supply systems, and the added fact that some areas seem to be prone to gastro-enteritis, Mr. Brown has underscored the urgency of dealing with extreme turbidity, which require a higher dosage of Chlorine and other means of disinfection. He has also cited "heavily silted entombments as well as the broken distribution water mains which must be restored."
In submitting the programme to the Parish Council, Mr. Brown stated that, "I considered the matter to be of great urgency and crave your indulgence in having the matter speedily brought to the attention of Government." In the interim, he said his department would be engaged in the "bare essentials" of creating access to those affected.
