Brown Burke blames govt for Marcus Garvey Drive flooding

The People's National Party (PNP) spokesperson on local government, Dr Angela Brown Burke, says the government is to be blamed for the flooding on Marcus Garvey Drive on Tuesday.

She said that the evidence of the neglect surfaced on Wednesday when the government dispatched heavy-duty equipment to clean the drains along Marcus Garvey Drive less than 24 hours after the roadway had been flooded, disrupting the rush-hour traffic and causing delays way past 10 p.m., when some commuters were freed from the traffic mayhem.

"Why were the drains on Marcus Garvey Drive being cleaned on Wednesday, the day after the flooding?" she asked.

Brown Burke says that the government is foolhardy in its approach to drain cleaning and argues that it would be better if the government adopted a more proactive approach in its drain-cleaning schedule.

She is calling on the National Works Agency and the Ministry of Local Government to ensure that the major drainage system is adequately cleaned and maintained to prevent further flooding and loss of productivity.