Opposition Spokesperson on Local Government and Sport, Natalie Neita Garvey, is calling on Local Government Minister, Desmond McKenzie, to provide all Municipal Corporations with adequate funding to clean drains.
Neita Garvey says this is in the wake of flooding from heavy rains associated with Hurricane Ian.
She says the funding should come from the Parochial Revenue Fund.
According to Neita Garvey, in July, the Ministry had asked the Municipal Corporations to establish a drain cleaning programme of six hundred thousand dollars per division which she says up to now has not been funded.
This programme, she says, should have been funded by PRF allocations, set aside in June and September.
The Opposition Spokesperson says it was important that blocked drains be cleaned as the Atlantic Hurricane season is now at its peak.
She expressed that drainage failure and improper infrastructure were the leading causes of much of the flooding experienced by communities and roadways on Monday.
Neita Garvey says her survey of Municipal Corporations indicated that only two were able to do any cleaning utilizing an Emergency Funds allocation.
In calling on Minister McKenzie to intervene immediately, Neita Garvey says it’s important for the Local Government Ministry to provide the money promised in July to assist the Municipalities in conducting preventative work.
