CHRONICLE’s recent editorial on drainage and its importance is most welcomed. However, this editorial and the comments from the City Hall’s Town Clerk, Ms. Carol Sooba would seem to place a good part of the flooding problems on the behaviour of both individuals and law enforcement. It seems clear that until the local government bodies are capable, Central Government must assume their drainage responsibilities, in order to close all the flooding loopholes or all efforts will fail. Without a comprehensive and centrally managed system in place, any effort made is only as good as its weakest link. The protection of drainage works cannot be separated from the overall picture.  Removal or damage to these works, and the clogging of waterways with garbage are unacceptable and must be severely persecuted.
 
Town Clerk Sooba comments point to the basic personal altitudes, lawlessness and poor enforcement of laws that defeat any efforts to combat flooding. According to Sooba, the pileup of garbage is mostly due to street vendors throwing their garbage every where.  She points out that the enforcement arm of City Council has been lacking in their duty to legally prosecute them. As long as lawlessness has no serious consequences, nothing deters it. Government must find both the will and the way, if this and other situations are to change. 
Until government aggressively insists on serious police enforcement and prosecution with heavier fines to cover the damages incurred thru a properly functioning Municipal Court these weak links will prevent any real hope of significantly reducing flooding.