Trincity councillor promises drain works to ease flooding

Councillor for Macoya/Trincity Josiah Austin said residents of Third Street East, Beaulieu Avenue, could expect a drain reconstruction soon. The work is expected to help reduce the flooding that has been taking place in the area for the last four decades.

Austin told Newsday that his office was working with external agencies such as the Ministry of Rural and Local Government to address the issue.

Two weeks ago, the street was hit with severe flooding that left residents distraught and nervous about the rest of the rainy season.

Austin said, "We have conducted several site visits. We even had a site visit two weeks before the last major flood. We looked at our resources and we came to a consensus that a drain reconstruction would be the best solution for right now."

He explained that the project would involve realigning the angle of the drains in the street so that it has a better connection to the main drain in the area.

"The drain that connects from the street to the main drain hits a sharp angle. So when there's heavy rainfall, the water from the street drain clashes with the water from the main drain and water backs up into the street instead of flowing properly into the main drain. So we're going to realign the angle of the drain so it's a bit more curved and that way the water can flow easier into the main drain."

He added that the project would start soon and that a similar project is currently taking place in Second Street West, Dinsley Avenue.

Asked if flooding in the area had worsened since the increased number of construction projects in Trincity, Austin said no.

"It's not the entire area of Trincity that has been experiencing flooding like that. It's just this particular street in Beaulieu. This issue has been going on since 1978."