McKenzie promises drain fix for homeowners in Portmore community

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has pledged to resolve a long-standing drainage issue along Texas Avenue in Independence City, Portmore, that has caused severe structural damage to at least three homes.

During a site visit on Tuesday, his second in three years, McKenzie announced that funding is now available to address the problem. However, he declined to disclose the exact amount, citing the procurement process, which, he said, will take up to six weeks.

“Once the procurement process has been concluded, then we will be working closely with the National Works Agency (NWA), the municipal corporation, and the Ministry of Local Government to ensure that the project is done, and done properly,” he stressed.

“One of the things I have asked the NWA and the ministry to do is to get the services of a structural engineer to give a proper assessment of any damage done to the residents, because once we go in and do the work, we want to ensure that there is nothing else that is going to be posing a challenge as it relates to the residents.”

However, homeowner Sophie Parnell expressed frustration with the delays, revealing the daily struggles her family has endured for years.

“We have been experiencing the problems for the last five years. First, let us go from inside the house. When the rain falls, the water keeps coming up through the floor. We noticed an area in the dining area was cracked and the floor started looking black,” she disclosed.

Continuing, she described how floodwaters travel from the dining area, through the house, and out onto the roadway.

Parnell also shared deep concerns about the house’s stability.

“Oh, yes. It is our greatest fear that the house could collapse at anytime from sustained weather events. After the earthquake the other day, a crack that was already in the dining-room wall opened [up some] more,” she noted.

Renair Benjamin, councillor for the division, traced the root of the issue to a blocked underground cross drain on Arizona Avenue, which passes through multiple properties, including the Parnells’. He blamed “poor planning by the original developers of Portmore”, a view supported by NWA engineers.

McKenzie also hinted at a broader infrastructure overhaul.

“One of the things that we are going to do, moving Portmore forward as the 15th parish, is to have a look at the physical infrastructure, the ones that fall under local government, because communities like these were built decades ago and we are seeing changing conditions,” he said, noting that it is the responsibility of government to provide proper infrastructure.

editorial@gleanerjm.com