Portmore councillors alarmed over lack of funding for drain cleaning for hurricane season
Published:Thursday | July 10, 2025 | 12:13 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Councillors attending Wednesday’s general meeting of the Portmore Municipal Corporation have raised concerns over what they consider inadequate funding to clean critical drains before the 2025 hurricane season hits its peak.
Kenord Grant, councillor for the Bridgeport Division, who first brought the matter to the meeting, argued that the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development has yet to release the required funds for disaster mitigation efforts within the municipality.
“I would also like to highlight that, within my division, there have been a few collapsed drains that for years I have been submitting to the ministry for an allocation to have them rehabilitated, and I have not received any response,” Grant said.
He noted that while Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie and Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness have been urging Jamaicans to prepare for disasters, their appeal has not been matched by the necessary financial support.
Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas echoed these concerns, warning of the risks posed by the delayed drain cleaning.
“I am very concerned, because there are over 15 major drains that fall under the ambit of the National Works Agency and most, if not all, cleaning should have started on them ahead of the hurricane season,” Thomas said.
“Cleaning of these major drains is critical if we are to prevent widespread flooding in the municipality. They carry the storm water to the mangroves and the sea, and if they are left unattended, Portmore is in for some difficult times if the hurricane season should bring torrential rainfall,” he added.
FOCUS ON MAIN DRAINS
Thomas revealed that an estimate of $35 million was sent to the local government ministry two years ago to rehabilitate collapsed drains, but the council is still awaiting a response. In the meantime, the municipal corporation has focused on cleaning minor drains, though funding remains insufficient.
“We have suspended the parochial revenue fund allocation for May and June to come up with funding so we could begin the drain cleaning process before the start of the hurricane season. The minister had written to us and suggested that we take this step,” Thomas explained. However, he admitted that these funds fall short of what’s needed for comprehensive work, particularly with the number of earth drains across the municipality.
Drains in Waterford and Gregory Park were singled out as areas of particular concern.
Gregory Park Councillor Joy Brown highlighted a main drain in her division that “has not been touched for years and has turned into a forest, with large trees growing in the drain”.
She is calling for this matter to be addressed urgently.