Left: Dereliction of duty? The debris-filled gully, which trails by the Kintyre Bridge, in St. Andrew, is desperately in need of clearing.   Right: Another view of the boulder-cluttered Kintyre gully. - Photos by Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

WHAT'S NOT WORKING?

Last week's instalment of Tyrone's Watch shed light on the living nightmare of some residents of Four Paths, Clarendon Gardens, who have to trek home through nearby bushes whenever heavy rains flood Jacks Gully.

Today, we zero in on the travails of the residents of Kintyre, in eastern St. Andrew, and the comparable predicament they face whenever heavy rainfall submerges the bridge in the community.

The Kintyre Bridge is arguably the most central and frequently used route for residents of Hope Flats, Cosmos Mews, Back Road, Clarke Street, St. Joseph's Road, Bedward Pastures and surrounding areas. However, when there is heavy rainfall, the more than 25-year-old bridge is devoured by flood waters rendering it impassable for days. Residents are then forced to resort to the 'swinging bridge' some 20 minutes away as the only means of access. But, some residents warn, persons use the 'swinging bridge' at their own peril because it, too, is in need of repairs.

The citizens, whose patience is growing thin, are demanding that the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) address this impending disaster.

SYNOPSIS OF THE SITUATION:

For some Kintyre residents, any extraordinary shower of rain is greeted with the proverbial weeping and gnashing of teeth because of the inevitability of being marooned by the overwhelming flood waters from the Kintyre gully.

Herbert 'Fat Man' Samuels, who has lived in the community since 1973, said that every major hurricane or heavy shower of rain has always resulted in the bridge being flooded.

"I believe that the big problem is that this bridge was built far too low. As a result of that, heavy rains deposit debris under it, clogging up the channels, you find that the water just rise up and take over the roadway because it has nowhere to run off," he said. "I remember the passage of Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Some 20 small houses and a small church close to the bridge were washed away when the channels were blocked and the forceful flood waters rose above the bridge."

DISTRACTED BY POLITICS

Another resident, who gave his name as Mills, is fiercely calling on the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation to address immediately the crisis, but fears that his plea will be drowned in the election rhetoric and hustings, with national polls due in 2007.

"We know that they don't want to spend any money on doing any extensive projects round about those times," said Mills, who has lived there for 34 years.

WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?

The Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC).

WHAT'S THE STATUS?

Efforts to get a comment from the KSAC were dead-ends. Despite bombarding the KSAC's Church Street, downtown Kingston offices with phone calls on September 27 and 28, we were unable to get a comment on the status of the bridge. The team was unsuccessfully transferred to the offices of Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie, Norman Shand, city engineer, and Delroy Hall, senior road and works officer.

Not one of these public officials was available for comment, as their respective secretaries said they were either out of office or in meetings.

Several messages were also left highlighting the nature of the calls; however, none of these public servants, and we use the word 'servants' loosely, even bothered to return the calls.

However, in our attempt to contact the city engineer on September 28, an employee of the KSAC, who requested anonymity, revealed that he "heard that some work was about to start" in the vicinity of the Kintyre Bridge. However, the representative added that he "did not know exactly how soon this would commence".

CONCLUSION

Yet another cry has been met with the too familiar silence from those who vowed to serve the public interest. We stand in solidarity with the afflicted people of Kintyre and its environs, as we reassert that we are sick and tired of the silence. Somebody needs to step up to the plate and provide answers.

The behaviour of public servants at the KSAC is absolutely unacceptable! Too often central government ministries and agencies or the local authorities believe that they can hide behind the mask of not accepting or returning phone calls. It is tantamount to dereliction of duty and the responsible individuals need to be brought to book.

Real Leadership

Leadership should assume the posture of respect, and restoration of public trust should begin with candour and honesty. Residents must be aware of a timeline for resolution of their grievances.

Here, again, there is public outrage over state neglect. Last week, residents, in Skibo, Portland, said their eyes had not beheld the marvel of water coming through their taps since 1988. This week, we have Kintyre residents lamenting the flooding catastrophe plaguing their community since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 as well.

How can these issues remain unresolved for almost two decades? How can elected 'leaders' ignore the public's cry?

Marlon Vickerman, Gleaner Writer, did this instalment of Tyrone's Watch.

We want to hear from you!

Tell us about problems in your community. We will visit and help to lobby for action. Write to: Tyrone Reid, The Gleaner Company Limited, 7 North Street, Kingston; fax: 922-6223, telephone: 922-3400 ext. 6364 or email: tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com.