By Gerald Miller, Gleaner WriterTHE RESIDENTS of McNeill Lands, who were marooned by flood rains which accompanied Hurricane Isidore last year, now want the authorities to start work immediately on the drains in the community before 2003 hurricane season begins.
The residents said they are very apprehensive at this time, knowing that nothing significantly has been done recently to clean the drains in the community, which will eventually ward-off any possible flooding, if the area becomes inundated with water this hurricane season.
"We want them (the relevant authority) to come and finish clean the drains because last week we had a small shower of rain and water come up", said a resident, who gave his name as Mr. Brown. A similar sentiment was also echoed by Dezrine Heywood, a resident who was born and bred in McNeill Lands.
"The fear is, if the drains are not cleaned, we will have the same problems again and we don't want that because we suffered the last time," said Heywood.
CLEANING BY DRAGLINE
But, according to Jasper Bailey, who had helped to remove trees and other blockades from some of the drains in the community, subsequent to the flood rains, the drains can be cleaned by a dragline. "Right now dem should be using dragline to clean the drains, because that is what WISCo (now Sugar Company of Jamaica) use to do and because the time is dry dem (the relevant authority) should be doing it now", said Bailey.
In the meantime, Frank Manborde, former Councillor of the Little London division, of which McNeill Lands is a part, said Frome use to clean the drains, as they have sugar cane close to the community, but has ceased from doing that in recent times.
IN NEED OF FUNDS
"Frome needs to assist in a substantial way in cleaning the drains, as good corporate citizens, because they use to do it," said Manborde. However, he said this has stopped because the sugar factory does not have the money for those kind of programmes. "They (Frome) said they do not have any funds for such programmes," said Manborde. However, Wykeham McNeill, Member of Parliament, said that although $1.8 million was released to assist in the cleaning of the drains, the money has not reached the National Works Agency(NWA) or the Parish Council.
"We heard the funds were released but it has not reached the National Works Agency or the Parish Council", said McNeill. Last year, about 600 residents in the community were severely affected by heavy rains, which pelted the island. Several homes became inundated with water, which forced several residents to seek refuge in shelters adjacent to the community.
