Golding Urges Jamaicans To Help Those Affected By Rains

Newly elected Leader of the Opposition, Mark Golding, is calling for persons with suitable equipment to assist the Government’s efforts to clear roads and blocked drains resulting from the impact of recent flood rains.

“I appeal for persons who own heavy equipment to demonstrate the true Jamaican spirit of love and care for each other to help in the effort to clear roads and drains and gullies,” Golding said.

He was speaking at his swearing-in ceremony held at King’s House on Tuesday, November 10.

He noted that blocked roads from landslides and breakaways have cut off important means of access to communities and it is also vital that drains and gullies are cleared quickly as more rain is forecast in the coming days.

Golding is also encouraging citizens to assist persons adversely affected by the heavy rains in any way they can.

“This is a time to reach out to those in need and lay a helping hand to raise them up where they may be in need of assistance,” he said.

The National Works Agency (NWA) reported on Tuesday that a number of roadways that were impassable have now been reopened. NWA teams working in affected parishes have, so far, cleared 11 of the 24 corridors that were blocked.

The agency also informed that landslides have been removed from some critical corridors in northern Clarendon and western St. Thomas, while activities continue to re-establish access along roadways in east rural St. Andrew.

Efforts are now concentrated on removing a massive landslide at a section of the Irish Town Road. This will allow access to a breakaway at a section of the corridor. It will also provide an alternative route to Gordon Town Road, which is impassable due to a major embankment failure in the vicinity of Stand Up Hill.

Material is also being cleared along sections of the corridor from Guava Ridge to Silver Hill Gap to safely re-establish other detours to Gordon Town Road.