PEART

Local Government and Environment Minister, Dean Peart, is acknowledging that only some parishes are ready for the hurricane season. He says mitigation has been carried out over the last 18 months in most of the parishes, excepting a few.

"We had no hurricanes last year, so what we did over the two-year period (was) to put in some things and work on some areas," he said.

The minister noted that over the period several drains and gullies across the island were cleaned and maintained by the National Works Agency, as well as roads fixed.

"The ministry of works now has a contract under the Inter-American Development Bank for five parishes to maintain their drains and bush the road," Mr. Peart said.

The work has started in other parishes also.

But the minister is contending that not all parishes have been preparing themselves for the season.

Not using funds properly

He is fingering the St. Catherine Parish Council and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation as two of the councils that have not been using funds provided for mitigation to do the job.

The minister said that some work has been ongoing on the Palisadoes strip to prevent sea surges.

Some $20 million has been spent to build more protective barriers along the strip of road that leads to the Norman Manley International Airport and which links Kingston with Port Royal.