Flooding woes, blocked drains, and persistent water damage are traumatizing business owners in Maraval. Corporate Secretary and Asset Manager for Ellerslie Court Limited, Keith Spencer, says urgent assistance is needed to address the ongoing crisis.
00:00The flooding problem has persisted for several years, so says Keith Spencer, asset manager for Ellesley Plaza.
00:08He tells us it has continually affected not only the plaza's shops, but also a school located directly opposite.
00:16Spencer believes the issue stems from a compromised subsurface drainage channel running beneath the roadway, exacerbating the impact of heavy rains.
00:26Long term, based on the assessment of the existing infrastructure to carry the stormwater flood, they may need to create an additional or increase the drainage infrastructure in the area to take away the floodwaters because it may be the situation where the existing infrastructure cannot handle the volume and the velocity of water in instances of heavy rainfall.
00:54He says the repeated flooding is traumatising for business operators every time it occurs.
01:01In terms of loss, there's loss of business because of the inaccessibility to the plaza as a result of the flood status, and there's destruction to the merchandise of shop owners.
01:17So it's multifaceted, and we really need to have this matter addressed.
01:27Spencer warns that in the country's already tough economic climate, business owners cannot afford these recurring floods.
01:35He tells us this month alone, the devastating incidents have struck multiple times, further threatening their operations.
01:44Several times, as a matter of fact, for the month of September, we have had six instances of flooding of that nature, just for September only of this year.
01:55So over the years, the problem has exacerbated over the years.
02:01When contacted via telephone, Minister of Local Government, Khadijah Amin, said she is aware of the problem, as her office is a stone's throw away.
02:10She adds that her ministry is looking into the problem and is open to suggested solutions as well.
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