The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

WORKS and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears said his ministry is addressing flooding issues at Carlton Francis Primary School after photos showing students walking through floodwater to enter the school’s premises circulated online this week.

Many concerned parents took to social media to express outrage over the issue, calling for something to be done.

And in Pinewood, an area with a longstanding flooding problem, Mr Sears said the plan is to install a new well as a pilot project that will be later implemented in other areas.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Sears acknowledged seeing the photos of children wading in water and said he contacted ministry officials immediately after being alerted to the situation.

He added that he was also informed that CV Bethel Senior High is experiencing a similar issue, which is also being addressed.

“I saw those pictures myself,” he said before going to yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, “and I immediately sent them to the PS (permanent secretary) and to Director Hutchison, to Mr Henry Moxie and Mr Francis Clarke at the ministry and I received today from Mr Moxie that it’s not only Carlton Francis, but also CV Bethel where you have potted water and the only way you can get through is by a vehicle or by taking off your shoes and walking through the water so I’m advised that that’s being addressed now based on what I would have received from Mr Henry Moxie.”

Mr Sears also went on to explain the root of the country’s flooding challenges, saying the problem is largely a result of our buildings being constructed on wetlands.

He said this is why it’s so important for the country to review its building codes and ensure that it is consistent with rational land use policy.

“The challenge we have in The Bahamas, and this is why we’re reviewing the land use policy, is that many of our structures were built on wetlands and in building on wetlands, you have a lot of concrete, you have sidewalks, and therefore the natural flow of the water has been prevented and you have the potting of water in areas where people have to walk or drive and so on.

“So, as we review our building code, and for those of you who would have joined us last week in the presentation, you know, we have a consultancy with Mott MacDonald and that that consultancy is to review the building code, look at best practices, benchmark it internationally so that as we move forward, we could (move) more effectively and ensure that building is consistent with a rational land use policy.

“And even as we build, we have to build with more resilience because we are in a new normal and that is hurricanes with up to 180 miles an hour wind with tidal surge over the land over 20 feet.

“So there has to be building in a way that we’ve never built before in order to have the kind of resilience in terms of the width, the height of the foundation, what is done on the first floor, and so on.”

This comes as some communities continue to be plagued with severe flooding following heavy rainfall, among them Pinewood Gardens.

Yesterday, Mr Sears admitted that officials have not moved fast enough to execute some of its flood mitigation plans.

Part of the delay, he added, was due to a lack of funding.

However, he insisted that his ministry is committed to doing all it can to address the situation as soon as possible.

“This year we are undertaking a number of new measures, one of which is to get up inventory of pumps in the ministry and I must confess in all candor that I’m a bit disappointed that is taking as long as it (has) because we have the Cabinet conclusion, and just getting the funding so that it could be done, there’s been some delay,” he said.

“But I am advised that a week ago that the purchase order has been finally secured and the pumps should be coming in shortly.”

He said the ministry is also seeking to acquire “tiger dams” as a part of its mitigation strategy.

“That is where you have a significant amount of water that’s standing. It could be, with the use of the pumps, remove to another area in a container they call those tiger dams that can be established,” he also said.

“The third thing is the installation not only of the regular wells, but for Pinewood, we are piloting a new well and it’s 600 feet well - in Pinewood, the intention is to pilot it as part of the Ministry of Works’ flood mitigation strategy in Pinewood and then to extend it in other areas eventually.”

He said officials will also seek to establish “as a pilot”, a new brick system for the community.

The minister continued: “That is some of the playgrounds will be excavated, and a system installed beneath the playground or a parking lot area and the water will be channeled into that brick system for repurposing or redirection to - the sea and the surface will be the same, but you will have the culverts directing the water into the bricks system.

“This is a system developed in Holland. It’s used in many parts of the United States where you have flooding so these are some of the measures and what we call our flood mitigation strategy.

“That is we recognise that we can’t be doing the same thing every year and expect a different outcome so based on the technical advice, we looked at some of the best practices in other jurisdictions, and we are incorporating those measures into the flooding mitigation strategy.”