THE FLOODING problem in parts of St James is getting worse.
Opposition MP Edmund Hinkson made the charge during a tour of his St James North constituency to look at some of the effects of yesterday’s torrential rainfall.
“All it takes is five minutes of heavy rainfall and we have a problem of flooding in several areas,” the lawyer told the SATURDAY SUN.
“It creates a problem for motorists, with traffic backing up. It’s a problem for pedestrians as roads become impassable, and a problem for homeowners and business people as residences and businesses are impacted.”
Hinkson said Sion Hill, Trents, Lower Carlton, Westmoreland and Rock Dundo were among the areas where flooding was usually reported after heavy rainfall.
“Flooding is not a new problem but it has been getting worse over the last six to seven years,” he said.
“There is a need for more drainage outlets to be created in the area, for those outlets to be cleaned frequently and for a number of wells to be sunk to take care of the large volume of water.”
Last year, residents of Sion Hill signed a petition, calling for the Drainage Division and other Government agencies to urgently address the problem.
Hinkson said Government was yet to address the issue and his constituents had reached a point of desperation, fearing for the future integrity of their properties and in some cases for their livelihood.
Keisha Clarke, who runs a Sion Hill shop selling fishcakes and bakes, among other things, said: “Every time it rains down here, it floods and businesses and homes are affected.
“People have to move their chairs, stoves, washing machines and other items so the water doesn’t get into them and ruin them.”
Hinkson also called on Government to fix several roads in the constituency, especially the Rock Dundo Road, which he said were in a “deplorable state of disrepair”.
He said it was unthinkable that with Government seeking a $140 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for a road rehabilitation programme across the island, St James was not listed among the parishes down to benefit. (TY)
