Drainage study needed to fix issues – Williams
Published:Wednesday | October 14, 2020 | 12:16 AMPaul Clarke/Gleaner Writer
Mayor Delroy Williams has said that the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), which he leads, has been looking at ways to remedy a recurring flooding problem across sections of the Corporate Area when it rains heavily.
He said a mitigation exercise will also focus on a comprehensive plan to address intermittent flooding along sections of Marcus Garvey Drive, for example, which triggers a major headache for motorists when blocked by floodwaters.
“Flooding on Marcus Garvey Drive is something that’s very concerning to us as a city because one would appreciate that as a council we cannot tolerate the perpetual flooding of a major corridor into the city, one that is so heavily used,” Williams told The Gleaner yesterday, adding that the town clerk and the city engineers have been in constant discussion with the National Works Agency to find a solution.
“There needs to be a proper study on basically all our flood-control measures, including ridding Marcus Garvey Drive, to fix that vexing issue once and for all,” said Williams.
The mayor said the KSAMC will begin holding partnership meetings with developers and other key agencies to begin looking at the issue of run-offs and to see how best to minimise the damage caused by flooding.
Last year, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced a massive US$150 million (J$20.5 billion) plan to construct a new drainage network across Kingston and St Andrew. He said that the proposed drainage system would cut across other well-known flood-prone areas in the Corporate Area such as Molynes Road, Maxfield Avenue and Tinson Pen.
Last week, sections of the Corporate Area were again inundated by heavy rains associated with Tropical Storm Delta as it passed off the island’s south coast.
Several vehicles, including at least one Jamaica Urban Transit Company bus, got shut off in the fast-rising water in the vicinity of Tinson Pen.
The mayor said he will be calling for the preparation, adoption, implementation and upgrade of the Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan for the city using standard planning processes.
“Flooding is a very big and costly problem for many people across the municipality and it is our intention to find satisfactory remedies,” Williams said.