Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
Workmen from the National Works Agency (NWA) clean debris from a drain on Marescaux Road in Kingston yesterday. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
SOME PARISH councils are complaining that their drain-cleaning programmes are being short-changed, and as a result they have to be cleaning drains in a "piecemeal fashion".
Dr. Raymoth Notice, Mayor of Spanish Town, said that the St. Catherine Parish Council has been forced to use $5 million from its monthly tax revenue to begin cleaning the drains.
He said that the parish council needs at least $30 million to clean the drains.
"The $5 million that we have got is no way near that $30 million that is really necessary for the parish," he said.
"We are grossly financially unprepared but with the limited resources that have been given to us we are doing our best, although it is in a piecemeal fashion, which to me adds up to nothing."
MORE RESOURCES NEEDED
Desmond McKenzie, Mayor of Kingston, told The Gleaner that the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) has already began its drain-cleaning programme but noted that the KSAC needed more resources to do the job effectively.
Mayor McKenzie said the KSAC needs at least $35 million to do the job. "The demand is great but the resources are not there," said Mayor McKenzie.
The Mayor said that the KSAC has been forced to divert funds from its Road Mainte-nance Programme to carry out drain cleaning in some areas.
"What we need is a special allocation that is dedicated to drain cleaning. Government must make special provision for road (and drains) maintenance. It is really giving us basket to carry water," said Mayor McKenzie.
Some of his concerns were endorsed by George Lee, Mayor of Portmore who said most of the critical drains in that community have been cleaned but that there were still some outstanding drains left to be cleaned by Local Government.
"We are fairly comfortable but we are awaiting for the others to be cleaned," said Mayor Lee.
