PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, 18 May 2017
ASSESSMENT OF INTEGRITY OF EXISTING DRAINAGE NETWORK NEEDED – G2K
Kingston, Jamaica: Generation 2000 (G2K) the young professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is suggesting that an assessment of the integrity of the country’s existing drainage network be carried out. The call was made by the organization following the recent rainfall event that caused widespread flooding across the island.
President of G2K, Stephen Edwards, stated that “The country has outgrown its current drainage system, much of which is quite old and in need of serious rehabilitation. The existing network is simply inadequate for the volume of storm water that is produced during events with persistent rainfall. Given the large number of developments that are in the pipeline it is imperative that an we ensure that the infrastructure can accommodate the additional runoff that will be generated.”
Jamaica experienced days of persistent heavy rainfall, which has caused severe infrastructural and agricultural damage, and has disrupted the business of the country. The Meteorological Service Division reported that some areas of Jamaica experienced, over the four-day period, volumes of rainfall that far exceeded the monthly average.
Edwards further stated that “A comprehensive assessment of the integrity of existing drainage structures is necessary as the added stress is causing them to fall apart in many places. A project of this nature and scale would be a massive study that is best executed by a team of local Civil Engineers, given their intimate knowledge of the situation on the ground. Once the existing structures are rehabilitated, and the network is expanded in accordance with the national drainage plan, the disruptions to people’s lives that are caused by rain events should be few and far between”.
“It is also imperative that the professionals who perform the study consider all factors that contribute to flooding such as climate change, improper disposal of solid waste and informal developments. This will ensure that the information provided will be comprehensive and useful for all professionals in the Built Environment,” said Edson Carr, Vice President of G2K
Generation 2000 is paying keen attention to the situation as Government officials carry out the necessary assessments of the damage, and work assiduously to restore normalcy to communities that were badly affected by the heavy rains.
