Clean up the bamboo - Lucea’s mayor demands of NWA

Weeks after Lucea’s mayor Sheridan Samuels, made an urgent plea to the National Works Agency (NWA) to remove debris, including pieces of bamboo, from the bank of the town’s Riley River, the matter has not been addressed.

“If the bamboo is not cleared periodically, it will result in the town of Lucea being flooded,” said Samuels, in reference to the perennial flooding problem, which regularly caused traffic delays and inconvenience residents in many other ways.

According to Samuels, who is also the chairman of the Hanover Municipal Corporation, the NWA was expected to put a maintenance programme in place for the Riley River because they would have been aware of its long history of overflowing its banks and flooding sections of Lucea.

The NWA promised the debris would be moved by the end of the month. However, as late as last Thursday, the debris was still there.

“To date, the NWA has not put any effort in removing these things from beside the river and it is of serious concern to us as the local authority,” said Samuels. “I have heard complaints from residents who equally concerned in regards to a re-occurrence of the flooding of the town.”

Samuels said the state agency cannot afford to be reactive at this time.

“We are very reactive when we should be proactive with the whole maintenance of the Riley River,” said Samuels, who recently voiced his concern at a Disaster Preparedness, Hazard Mitigation and Safety Committee meeting.