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CLOGGED PROGRESS - Delayed procurements hit drain cleaning in Hanover

Published:Saturday | July 13, 2013 | 12:00 AM
A section of the main drain in Lucea, the Venture Gutter. The drain, which runs under a section of Hanover Street, is partially blocked because it is crammed with an overgrowth of tall grass, garbage, and other debris.-Photo by Christopher Bodden

Christopher Bodden, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:National Works Agency (NWA) parish manager for Hanover, Wayne Cover, says delayed procurement caused setbacks in plans to clean the Lucea West River and drains in Lucea prior to the June 1 start of the Atlantic hurricane season.

He said the cleaning of the river has now been completed and that the NWA would turn its attention to its drain-cleaning programme for Lucea, which would include the Venture Gutter, which runs through the town centre and is now filled with silt, garbage, overgrown shrubs, and grass.

"One million dollars was allo-cated to the parish of Hanover, (so) we have to prioritise," Cover said. "The town is the link between Montego Bay and Negril. We cannot afford for the town to be flooded and cut off. Drain cleaning will commence as soon as the procurement process is completed."

In its 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook, the Climate Prediction Centre of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admini-stration estimated that there could be an active or extremely active season this year. It said there was a 70 per cent probability for the occurrence of 13 to 20 named storms, between seven and 11 hurricanes, and three to six major hurricanes.

In the meantime, parish disaster preparedness coordinator of the Hanover Parish Council, Desmond Dorman, said 56 hurricane shelters are available to accommodate persons across the parish should a storm hit the island. He also said two additional shelters were being proposed.

"The Disaster Preparedness Committee is making efforts to identify one in Lances Bay," Dorman told Western Focus. "Normally, Lances Bay residents would have to use the shelter at Esher Primary School, which is

some distance away.

"In Miles Town, Reverend Blizhell Thompson of the Holiness Church has consented for the church to be used as a shelter. The Hanover Parish Council is making efforts to assist in (making) repairs to the Richmond Basic School as this is the only available shelter there," he said.