Dear Editor,
As a child, my friends and I walked and played in drains which were concrete and free from grass, wild eddoes, mud and garbage. In those days, when it rained, water moved quickly and freely through our drains without overflowing onto roads. We even removed pages from our exercise books, formed them into ships and had fun competing with each other in the fast-moving water. When there was no rain the drains were dry.
Today, our drains are all filled with grass, wild eddo, mud and other things. When or if those obstacles are removed they are placed close to the edges and they return because they are not removed on time. We continue to see the recurrence of work in short periods and people in authority seem not to care anymore. Taxpayers must be the recipients of good work and not abuse. We could reflect on the past but cannot relive it, but the present and future is before us. While we may or may not see the future, there is nothing wrong with preparing for it; it will come to some of us. The sun and the rain will come, but if it rains for a long or short period the streets of Lindentown must not be flooded due to clogged drains. I have seen six or more inches of water on Republic Avenue, Greenheart Street, Mora Street, Pine Street as a regular feature. Water entered businesses and threatened the Republic Bank. While we continue to reconstruct wider and deeper drains, which I consider bad engineering practice, our town continues to be flooded even though it is close to the river, because there are small or blocked exits.
The time has come and gone, when our leaders, councillors, business people and citizens need to come out of hiding and shout out against bad construction in our town, because if we don’t, we will continue to see broken roads and drains, and our leaders will remain dumb on important issues. Forward ever backward never.
Yours faithfully,
B Winslow Parris
