- Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
The waste-filled Jones Town Gully that runs adjacent to No-Man's Land in Trench Town.
Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
THE PUBLIC Health Department and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management have tagged the debris-filled gullies in the Corporate Area as definite threats to health and potential disaster hazards.
"We are concerned from a health point of view because they pollute the atmosphere, breed mosquitoes and then there is the proliferation of roaches and rodents that invade these communities," Dr. Herb Elliott, Medical Officer of Health for Kingston and St. Andrew said.
The MOH said the mosquitoes could become a more severe threat if an outbreak of dengue fever should occur again. In addition, the further spread of gastro-enteritis is a possibility. "Because of the filthiness, if the children don't clean their hands and then they eat and drink they can contact gastro."
Ministry of Health (MOH) data show that from January 1 to January 24, 2,619 children under five years old fell ill with the intestinal problem. Those over five years with the problem numbered 2,256 bringing the total number of cases to 4,875. According to the MOH that total represents a 108 per cent increase over the same period last year. In January 2003, the total number of reported cases was 2,348.
CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER
The clear and present danger the deplorable state of the gullies pose is obvious, says Ronald Jackson, senior director of Preparedness and Emergency Operations at ODPEM. "Certainly it is grave, for not just disaster management but also environment and health," Mr. Jackson stated. "Debris can block channels and impede the flow of water and the gullies could overflow its banks. It is something we constantly discuss with the Parish Disaster Committee and one of the things we agitate for is the cleaning of all water ways, natural and man made to allow for easy run off."
According to Dr. Elliott, the need to address the current state of the gullies was brought to the fore at last month's Public Health and Disaster Preparedness meeting at the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC).
Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Desmond McKenzie agrees that the current state of the gullies is unsatisfactory.
"We are sitting on a case of TNT because if we get certain kinds of rain, it can turn out to be an explosive situation," stressed Mayor McKenzie.
In August 2003, Town Clerk, Errol Greene said, "neglect over the years certainly has something to do with it, but our biggest problem has been lack of resources."
Mayor McKenzie agreed that the local government body does not have the resources to tackle the problem and added that no help is forthcoming from central government. "There is nothing in the budgetary allocation for the repair or maintenance of gullies and we don't get one cent from central government for that either," he said.
In addition to monetary aid, the Mayor said that the KSAC would also need manpower because the current staff in the City Engineer department is inadequate.
"Giving us money is fine but we also need the staff to carry out the work," Mr. McKenzie said.
CONFUSION
There's also confusion between the KSAC and the National Works Agency (NWA) as it relates to which agency has jurisdiction over particular gullies in the Corporate Area. "We are still not certain which are the gullies that KSAC has responsibility for, but we know that NWA has responsibility for some," said Mayor McKenzie. When contacted by The Sunday Gleaner, the NWA said it was unable to furnish us with any information at the moment.
The Mayor believes however, that new regulations should be put in place that bring all the gullies within the Corporate Area under one umbrella.
As it now stands, Mayor McKenzie says it will cost a pretty penny to restore the gullies to their former glory. "A lot of them need millions of dollars because they are in need of massive repair. When you put a $200,000 or $300,000 in these gullies you are just throwing away taxpayers money."
The Mayor said that the KSAC was however finalising plans for a tour of the gullies in the Corporate Area on Tuesday, February 17, 2004, with representatives from the Social Development Fund (SDF).
He said after the tour the necessary proposals would be drafted and delivered to the SDF that will undertake the financing of the project.
