Critical drainage works set to begin in Ruimveldt and other flood prone communities

Head of the National task Force and leader of the Georgetown Drainage Authority, Lennox Lee told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the team which was established last Friday will commence priority works in several critical areas shortly.

Critical drainage works set to begin in Ruimveldt and other flood prone communities

(GINA)   The newly established Georgetown Drainage Authority is set to commence critical drainage works in the Ruimveldt and other flood prone communities.

Head of the National task Force and leader of the Georgetown Drainage Authority, Lennox Lee told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the team which was  established last Friday will commence priority works in several critical areas shortly.

“We will be looking at one of the major drainage channels for instance the Downer and Cummings canals, La Penitence, Ruimveldt, Agricola, Lamaha Street, Kitty, Agricola, Rome and the sluice gates at Meadow Bank,” Lee explained.

He added that a design is currently being considered for major overhaul works in the Kitty area since the pumps were recently damaged.

Lee further explained that the Ruimveldt areas are more easily flooded because of the squatting. He pointed out that the drainage works cannot be carried out because there are many houses on the government reserve preventing the works. This has resulted in these areas being prioritised.

Additionally, Lee pointed to need for maintenance of the drainage systems. The Head of National Task Force is confident that his team will ensure that there is routine maintenance. “These works we expect will be done but will be maintained, one of the main problems we have in Georgetown is maintenance, things are done but not maintained. And that is one of the things we are going to be pushing for; the maintenance of anything that is done.”

Lee noted that all 13 outfall channels in Georgetown will be cleared, de-silted and de-weeded. The  team is awaiting small excavators to commence works in other areas.

According to the Head of National Task Force, culverts will be placed where there are none and small inefficient ones will be replaced with new ones. There will be culverts in Sophia, Bel Air, North and South Ruimveldt, New town Kitty and the along the railway embankment “almost immediately”, Lee explained.

Following the initiation meeting on Friday five terms of reference were implemented. These include, “to identify the critical need for drainage in the city, make recommendations for long and short term maintenance of sluices, pumps and outfall channels within the city, determine the priority drainage works within the city and schedule site visits to monitor and evaluate ongoing drainage and related works, assess the need for remedial works and drainage and finally to formulate a national policy for drainage within the city.” The team will be guided by these terms of reference Lee said.

The team which was mandated by Ministers of Communities and Public Infrastructure, Ronald Bulkan and David Patterson is comprised of members from the Mayor and City Council, Ministries of Communities and Public Infrastructure and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

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