Portmore deputy mayor raises alarm over mangrove dumping
Published:Monday | October 14, 2024 | 12:09 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Portmore:
Deputy Mayor of Portmore, Alric Campbell, has expressed grave concern over ongoing environmental degradation caused by land reclamation activities involving the filling of mangroves in certain parts of the city.
Speaking at the municipality’s general meeting last week, Campbell specifically pointed to dumping occurring along Fort Augusta Drive.
“I am primarily concerned about the dumping of the mangroves along Fort Augusta Drive, an area known to us as ‘Back Road’,” Campbell stated. “Persons, for various reasons, including to extend the perimeters of their properties, continue to dump in prohibited areas.”
He went on to explain that this reckless behaviour has far-reaching consequences, affecting both the environment and nearby communities.
“This is having a negative effect on the retention of the mangroves, which is vital for the ecosystem, and also on neighbouring communities, such as West Bay and Edgewater, going all the way to the Portmore Mall area,” Campbell added.
The destruction of mangroves, which serve as natural buffers against flooding and support the local ecosystem, is of particular concern.
“Evidence of mangrove reclamation is having a debilitating effect on the ecosystems that are there, so we are looking for the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to step in at this stage,” the deputy mayor said.
Campbell also highlighted another growing issue, the extension of properties towards the sea.
“Likewise, on the side to the sea, persons continue to pour concrete to extend, taking away the shoreline in these cases,” he said, pointing to the increased risk of flooding. “The potential for flooding has increased with recent rains bringing home this reality where flooding was observed in areas that never flooded before.”
In response, NEPA’s local planning branch manager, Stephanie Linton-Shields, who was present at the meeting, assured the council that the agency is aware of the issue. She noted that NEPA’s mandate covers the areas of concern raised by the deputy mayor. However, she deferred to the agency’s chief executive officer, Leonard Francis, who has been invited to speak more directly on the matter at the next planning meeting, scheduled ahead of next month’s general session.