The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

GIVEN this week’s severe flooding around the capital, the government should commit a fixed amount in the yearly budget towards upgrading the country’s drainage and sewer systems, former State Minister of Environment Phenton Neymour said yesterday.

He attributed the widespread flooding to decades of government neglect and a “lack of commitment” on the part of both governments towards improving New Providence’s draining facilities.

“Our population has doubled since 1973, yet we have not significantly improved our sewerage and drainage facilities,” Mr Neymour said.

“From 1990, our population has increased by 100,000. It used to be 254,000 it’s now about 354,000, but yet, during that period, we have not built any significant sewerage or drainage facilities. That speaks volumes to all of us, where a population has grown by essentially by 40 per cent and yet we haven’t built any sewerage facilities.”

Mr Neymour also said “significant growth” with New Providence’s infrastructure has allowed for newly developed parking lots, roads and homes to become catchment areas.

“In the process (of infrastructural growth) the government has also, particularly in southern New Providence, blocked natural drainage paths. As an MP for South Beach I complained even in the House of Assembly where the construction of certain roads – Baillou Hill Road, East Street, particularly Marshall road – we’ve blocked the natural drainage system that existed.

“That’s why the southern areas, from Seabreeze all the way out to Bacardi Road, have been significantly impacted by flooding,” Mr Neymour said.

The former minister also pointed to “health concerns” associated with flooding, including standing water combining with sewerage from septic tanks.

“It needs to be treated with urgency,” he said. “It does produce potential problems with the mixing of sewerage - with us having septic tanks where the sewerage from homes are not adequately treated, you will naturally have the mixing of the rain water with sewerage. It’s a major health concern from my perspective.

“That’s why I’m calling for all governments to commitment themselves to allocating a fixed percentage of our budget to improving drainage and sewerage infrastructure.

“A fixed sum not only to address current developments but also to put adequate funding to address the gaps that exists - we need to catch up.”

Mr Neymour explained there hasn’t been any new sewerage treatment facilities built in the last 20 years and the country currently has fewer facilities working than it did 15 years ago.

He said the government has been reluctant to upgrade or build new facilities because of cost, but “it has now become a necessity.”