$2m not enough to Westmoreland Western drain cleaning  

Western Bureau: 

Parliamentarian Ian Hayles, the member of parliament (MP)  for Westmoreland Western, says the J$2 million allocated to constituencies under the Government’s newly announced Pre-Hurricane Mitigation Programme, is far from enough to adequately prepare his constituency for the 2026 hurricane season.

 In an interview with The Gleaner last week, Hayles said the funding represents only a fraction of what is needed to properly clean drains and reduce flooding risks across the constituency.

“We received $2 million in drain cleaning. As you know, we have some critical areas. The most critical of all is McNeil’s Land,” Hayles said, referencing one of the flood-prone communities in Little London.

Hayles explained that the scale of the drainage issues within the constituency far outweighs the amount provided by the Government.

“If you take the community drains along with the central government drains, both MP and councillor drains, I think if we should clean all the drains, it’s around J$20 million. So, we’ve received 10 per cent of the funding to basically clean the drains in Western Westmoreland,” he said.

Robert Morgan, the minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with responsibility for works, recently announced that all MPs would receive J$2 million each under the J$250-million Pre-Hurricane Mitigation Programme, which is aimed at facilitating drain cleaning and related activities ahead of the June 1 start of the hurricane season.

The National Works Agency (NWA) was also allocated J$124 million to undertake mitigation interventions at the national level, with flood-prone communities expected to be prioritised.

Despite the initiative, Hayles said his constituency remains vulnerable.

“I don’t know what kind of preparation you can make with 10 per cent of the overall cost,” he said.  “So, we are still at square one. I am hopeful that we can get more funds to clean some more drains because citizens are calling, especially about areas that normally wouldn’t flood in a hurricane.”

Hayles also pointed to the impact of Hurricane Melissa, noting that some communities experienced flooding in places that previously had no such history.

“In Hurricane Melissa, those areas are flooded and create new pathways and new drains,” he said.

He also argued that some of the post-hurricane assistance received by the Government should be directed towards drainage mitigation efforts in affected western parishes.

“I know that, for example, a part of the assistance that the Government received in terms of Hurricane Melissa should be spent on ensuring that all the constituencies in western Jamaica, which was affected by Hurricane Melissa, get the necessary funding to clean the drains so we can be fully prepared,” he said.

The issue of flooding in Negril was also raised, particularly along the Norman Manley Boulevard, which has seen repeated flooding episodes this year.

“The plan with that is at the National Works Agency and it’s a bigger project,” he explained. “We have to find a way from Couples Negril all the way down and ensure those drains are connected to each other.”

He said the current drainage infrastructure along the main roadway requires major improvement to allow for proper water runoff.

“And what is needed is connectivity, where all the drains are connected to each other in ensuring that the water gets to the morass and it clears the roadway,” he said.

The Norman Manley Boulevard has already flooded several times this year, affecting both residents and the tourism sector.

“I think this year alone, the main thoroughfare in Negril, which carries most of our tourists… the Norman Manly Boulevard has flooded three to four times,” he said.

Hayles revealed that he had received correspondence indicating that $300 million had been approved to address roadworks along the boulevard, but he is still awaiting word on drainage improvements.

“I’ve not heard anything about the drainage as yet,” he said. “So, I’m still hopeful again that the drainage on the Norman Manly Boulevard will be fully dealt with and they will all be connected so that it can have proper run-off.”

Hayles also stated that he has already raised his concerns with the NWA and Government officials.

“I’ve brought the concern to the NWA manager here. The minister is aware of it in terms of the impact of it, in terms of tourism and on the general public and the motoring public,” he said. “So, the Government knows about it and something will have to be done.”

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com