West Bay Struggles With Drainage Issues

Residents in West Bay, Bridgeport Portmore in St. Catherine are hoping that a drainage issue in the community will be fixed before another heavy downpour of rain. The concern surrounds the lack of a proper drainage system to keep the water from flowing onto their properties.

The situation has left them feeling helpless while they await the intervention of the Municipal Corporation.

“It is like a beach out here, water coming in the yard I feel like the house is going to flood when the rainfall,” shared a West Bay resident. “The way the road is shaped is a beach right here. It affects everybody here.”

She says an engineer had also visited her home and that of other neighbors. They had proceeded to dig an area in her backyard to install pipes to control the flow of the water.

“I’m scared my house is going to cave in to one of these days. I gave them my light. They use my light for the Jackhammer and everything. Nobody has come back in five weeks. I don’t see anybody. Fish is in my backyard.”

Another resident who has been affected shares his experience:

“All we are asking them [to do] is come and fix it so we can [stop] this mosquito infestation from happening to us.”

CVM LIVE has been told that the Acting Chief Engineering Officer had visited the area and this letter was sent indicating plans to carry out the rehabilitation of a stormwater culvert. That was in July and the work is yet to be completed. Our news team reached out to the office of the Acting Chief Engineering Officer for the seeking answers. However, calls made went unanswered, we will continue to monitor this story.