Bamboo menace piles up in Lucea
Published:Wednesday | May 18, 2022 | 12:08 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE TOWN of Lucea, Hanover, now has an environmental problem with piles of dislocated bamboo floating along the coastline, causing an eyesore and preventing fishermen from accessing their boats in some areas.
The problem, according to mayor of Lucea and chairman of the HMC, Sheridan Samuels, has happened “all because of the negligence of the National Works Agency”.
The large pile-up of bamboo plants also contributed to the blocking of the passage under the Riley Bridge weeks ago, causing flooding in Lucea, following rains on the evening of Tuesday, April 19.
With the knowledge of the NWA, bamboo was allowed to pile up under the arch-shaped Riley Bridge, which is at the eastern entry to the town, and continued to block the free flow of the Riley River under the bridge for weeks. When the rains came, the river overflowed its banks and the Riley community and main street areas of Lucea were flooded.
COMPLAINTS TO NWA
The Gleaner has been informed that several complaints, including warnings of the possibility of flooding, were forwarded to the NWA during March and April leading up to the flooding of the town, about the danger of the blocked passageway under the Riley Bridge.
Despite being notified, no attempt was made by the NWA then to remove the pile-up of bamboo until days after the flooding of the town.
Samuels was very upset when the matter of the bamboo menace came up for mention in the May monthly meeting of the HMC, especially against the background that no representative from the NWA was present at the meeting to explain plans for its removal.
“We have some serious problems. Even this morning I have received complaints from some fisherfolk, who are concerned, because they cannot get a chance to go fishing to feed their families because of the amount of bamboo blocking their boats on the beaches,” Samuels stated.
“What I gather is that the NWA gave out the contract (to remove the bamboo), the person only took out few of the bamboo, which is evidenced by the amount of bamboo placed at the side of the road in the vicinity of the bridge, and then allow the rest to flow down river,” he added.