The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Works Ministry said it is addressing ongoing flooding issues in an area near Cable Beach following recent complaints.

Residents of the Westward Villas area on Devonshire Street have had growing concerns about continued flooding due to unapproved filling in of the wetlands and mangroves over many years causing large amounts of water to settle in the street.

These concerns prompted a town meeting last month for residents and the Ministry of Works to come to an agreement on steps for remediation.

When contacted recently, a senior representative of the Ministry of Works said that while there was a possible solution to the flooding issue in the area brought to the table, remediation won’t be immediate.

“The Ministry of Works attended the town meeting. They called the town meeting, because we asked them to, we went and he (Henry Moxey, an engineer from the Ministry of Works) outlined to them (residents) exactly what remediation would take place and how it would take place. And so we now have to wait for that to be implemented,” a representative from the Ministry of Works said.

“I hope residents would understand that you cannot have a situation that would have been existing for years and years and then expect instant correction of the problem, but we do note the problem and we know that we will have to take some steps to prevent the flooding going forward.”

One resident, Tyrone Neely, who has lived on Devonshire Street since 1993, told The Tribune that he has been waiting for the government to deal with a developer in the area, who is allegedly responsible for most of the issues.

He said residents have been plagued with flooding for more than 20 years.

“You see the lake in front of Baha Mar, that comes down and runs straight across Skyline Drive and in the back to Super Value, that is what they (a local developer) cut off. They blocked that off. And so over the years and now, we have an extreme flooding problem. And the flooding is mainly in the area where they are, which is in front of me and heading to the east,” Mr Neely said in a recent interview.

“They changed the dynamics of the ecological system. They built their land high, they created a saucer, so the water stays in the road and flows into anybody’s yard who is lower than them, including me,” he said.

“There are a myriad of issues: a flooding issue, ecological issue, wildlife displaced, fish and turtles used to be in that, and they destroyed it, mosquito issue from stagnant water sitting and turning green, health issue, social issue, because persons can’t come and visit their friends and relatives. From May to October water was in the street, every time it started to go down, rain came and it comes again,” he said.

Mr Neely said while he appreciated the recent steps given for remediation from the government at the town meeting last month, he would be more assured by something in writing. He said he and residents of the area have three demands.

“The government never showed us any definitive action, never gave us anything in writing to stop them (developers in the area)... They don’t have any permission to fill in those wetlands,” he said.

“We have a few demands. One, a remedy to the flooding. Two, a refusal for any further activity over there. And three, have them restore some of what they did, because someone at the ministry said to me that they filled in far and beyond what is their property line,” he claimed.

Mr Neely said he and other residents of the area plan to form a nonprofit organisation together that aims to help deal with flooding and other ecological issues.

“We are forming ourselves into a nonprofit organisation and we are not going away, because I don’t plan to move. This is where we live. We had a town hall meeting; 30 to 40 people came and everybody gives you names and we are forming ourselves together,” Mr Neely said.

“We had a crime association some years ago that took on this matter and fought but you know we got discouraged, because there was no action by the authorities to penalise and bring things to an end,” he said.

Developers in the area of Devonshire Street were unavailable for comment up to press time.