Infrastructure Minister Shawn Edward says garbage dumped in waterways worsened Monday’s flash flooding, prompting an appeal for responsible waste disposal and a challenge to residents seeking government contracts for minor drain cleaning.
Bexon and Cul de Sac were among the communities affected on October 5 as a weather system brought heavy rainfall to Saint Lucia.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, October 6, Edward said his assessment was based on preliminary observations.
“The flooding that resulted had more to do with the indiscriminate dumping of garbage, solid waste, plastics, just name it, into the waterways,” he said.
The Dennery North MP urged residents to use the Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority’s scheduled collections, including designated days for bulky waste.
“Once we continue to resort to such practices, the situation will be a lot worse than it ought to be when we have rainfall,” Edward cautioned.
His appeal also placed responsibility on residents to deal with minor drainage problems in their immediate surroundings where it is safe to do so.
“If there’s a drain in the immediate vicinity of your house that is blocked, nothing prevents you from taking a spade, a shovel, or any implement at your disposal to just unclog the drain,” he said.
Edward expressed concern that some residents capable of undertaking minor cleaning instead approach parliamentary representatives seeking government-funded contracts. He maintained that not every blockage requires the deployment of public resources.
“When it is necessary for the Ministry of Infrastructure to employ people to do the work, we will do so,” he assured.
Meanwhile, the ministry has deployed technical teams across the island to assess possible damage from the heavy rainfall.
Edward said Chief Engineer Renata Philogene-Macky dispatched engineers, engineering assistants and technicians to various districts and constituencies on Tuesday morning to conduct preliminary assessments.
At the time he spoke, no significant infrastructural damage had been identified, despite flooding reported in several communities.
