HAVING regard to the Georgetown City Council’s “lack of interest in ensuring preparedness,” for the recent rainy weather, Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, had no alternative but to “turn to God” and pray that he hold up the rains. Whittaker made this comment at a press conference Monday at the ministry, Fort Street, Kingston. Also on hand were Minister of Local Government, Ganga Persaud, and Permanent Secretary Collin Croal.
“One would have thought that in the light of the pronouncements made by our Hydromet Office, and by Agriculture Minister, Leslie Ramsammy, to the effect that the heavy rainfall will continue to the end of March, that the Georgetown municipality would have been looking at their existing facilities for drainage, and seeking to ensure that they were in working order to the maximum. And in fact, as we all know now, that was not so,” Whittaker stated.
Due to mechanical failure in two instances and human error in another, three pumps were not in working order at a time that they were urgently needed.
Minister Persaud offered that it was very unfortunate that given the signals and conditions, the council could not be prepared and spare citizens the flood conditions.
“It reinforces the ineptitude, the uncaring attitude of those who are responsible for the management of the city.”
It is a fact that the city has a defined capacity with regard to the amount of water it can remove from the land in a 24 hour period. “But here again, if we recognize the weather conditions that are prevailing, and we are ill-prepared to cope with that, I don’t know how far an apology can go in terms of satisfying the citizens that were seriously affected,” Persaud noted.
A number of persons turned up at the ministry to complain in frustration and anger about the “lackluster” attitude and responses they received from the Town Council, Minister Persaud reported.
The ministry is still awaiting a report from the municipality with regard to the investigation launched into the human error. The fact that diesel was placed in a pump resulted in it becoming non-functional.
Minister Persaud feels that the council is not without financial resources, as has been preached by officials over the years.
“What seems to be very elusive at the level of the city is the management of those resources effectively.
“I will not buy lock, stock and barrel the excuse of inadequate resources with regard to maintaining the pumps. The government has consistently, over the years, poured resources into the municipality to assist in situations like these. But you just cannot be providing the fish all the time to the council…they have got to learn to fish for themselves, and that seems to be something that they are not committed to,” Minister Persaud said.