St Thomas Eastern MP Urges NWA to Address Chronic Flooding in Port Morant

Member of Parliament for St Thomas Eastern, Rosemarie Shaw, has publicly challenged the National Works Agency regarding the persistent flooding in Port Morant. In a statement released on Thursday, the MP accused NWA Communications Manager Stephen Shaw of minimizing the severity of the situation by attributing the recurring water accumulation solely to rainfall patterns. The MP argued that the flooding is a long-standing issue that requires immediate and decisive intervention rather than weather-related explanations.

According to the MP, the failure to implement effective drainage solutions has resulted in significant hardship for the local community. Residents have faced repeated property damage, while local businesses have reported substantial losses in income. Furthermore, the MP noted that the condition of the roads has become increasingly hazardous, often rendering them impassable during heavy weather events.

Flooding in Port Morant is not new. It is a known, recurring issue. The failure to fix it is what is unacceptable. This is not a matter of awareness; it is a failure of action, the MP stated. She emphasized that while communication is a necessary function of the agency, it cannot serve as a substitute for the responsibility of maintaining functional infrastructure.

Beyond the existing drainage problems, the MP raised concerns that recent infrastructure works conducted in the parish may have inadvertently worsened the flooding conditions. She has called for an urgent and transparent review of these projects to determine their impact on the local environment. The MP is demanding that the NWA provide a clear, time-bound action plan to address these systemic failures.

There are also serious concerns that recent infrastructure works have worsened flooding conditions rather than improved them. These concerns must be urgently reviewed, Shaw said. The MP concluded by stating that the people of Port Morant are seeking accountability and permanent solutions to ensure the safety and economic stability of their community.

The NWA has not yet provided a formal response to these specific demands regarding the drainage infrastructure in St Thomas.