WHAT was once unbelievable is now true: that drain east of Bourda Market, which once seemed perpetually blocked, has been desilted and the water is being drained once more!City Hall is currently carrying out major drainage works in the Bourda/Lacytown wards. Begun two Sundays ago, the works include desilting drains running south along Orange Walk, from North Road all the way to South Road, off the Dorothy Bailey Municipal Centre, and amazing success has been realised.

Work on desilting the drain to the east of Bourda Market was continuing apace Saturday in keeping with other works being done in theBourda/Lacytown area. Various items of heavy equipment were being employed on the desilting works, while huge trucks were taking away the sludge.

Notable success has been accomplished in clearing the massively clogged up culvert spanning the width of Regent Street and taking water all the way through to be deposited in the South Road canal. And, water from the Bourda Market drain (to the east of the market) can also be drained along Orange Walk, all the way through to the North Road canal.

“What this means,” says City Engineer Colvern Venture, “is that the water would no longer accumulate on the roadways or around Bourda Market when it rains. Better still, there will be no more flooding of the market, resulting in hardships and losses suffered by businesses through damage to their goods by water seeping in from overflowing drains.”

Venture said what is even more heartening in the scheme of things is that the money being expended to offset the cost of such massive infrastructural works is being realised through the payment of rates and taxes by residential property owners and businesses.

Town Clerk Royston King is elated at the response. He claims that none of what has been expended on this segment of the drainage works so far has come from the national treasury.

Commenting on the response to the amnesty by ratepayers, King disclosed that, so far, the response has been heartening, particularly from residential property owners.

“What has been noted is that residential ratepayers are coming forward and paying their taxes, and in far greater numbers proportionately than businesses; so we are urging the businesses to pay up,” King said. “The target set by City Hall for collection of rates and taxes through the amnesty granted is $1B.”

The amnesty, which began on September 1, will come to an end on September 30, after which defaulting ratepayers stand to be prosecuted.
(Shirley Thomas)