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Poor drainage blamed for flooding in Portmore Villa and West Meade housing schemes

Published:Wednesday | November 22, 2017 | 12:02 PM
A man carrying a young child walks through a flooded street in Portmore earlier today. – Ricardo Makyn Photos
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Several houses in the Portmore Villa and West Meade housing schemes in Portmore, St Catherine, are now flooded after hours of heavy rainfall.

Residents of the housing developments blame poor drainage for the flooding.

President of the West Meade Villas Association, Marlon James, says this is the situation every time it rains.

He says between 50 and 60 houses are affected in the four-year-old housing scheme.

 

President of the West Meade Villas Association, Marlon James

Christopher Pennant, who lives in the neighbouring Portmore Villa housing scheme, says he has been up since 3 o'clock this morning trying to save his furniture and other belongings.

 

Christopher Pennant, a resident of Portmore Villa

Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas says the flooding occurred because of incomplete drains that were constructed by the developers of the housing schemes.

Thomas, who visited the areas, says the two affected schemes were built by the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ).

He says the Portmore Municipal Council has written several letters to the HAJ highlighting the flooding problem because of the incomplete drains.

Thomas says to date the agency has responded to only one of the letters and provided a mere $600,000 to fix the drain in one of the schemes.

However, the Portmore Mayor says the money is woefully inadequate as it will need at least $3 million to fix just one of the drains.

He says Council is now trying to procure an excavator to assist with clearing a pathway for the excess water to flow.