HDC defends response to Greenvale flood scare

In the lead-up to Thursday's flood scare at the Greenvale development, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) says it implemented a number of measures aimed at bolstering the area's flood mitigation system.

HDC manager of corporate communications Dike Noel, in an e-mail to Newsday, said the measures included raising the containment berm to surround the development fully. He added that surrounding roads were also raised and watercourses cleaned.

During Wednesday's rain, Noel said, "A team from the HDC’s Estate Management Division visited the Greenvale Park community...to monitor the situation and ensure that the systems are operational."

When the rain continued on Thursday, and water levels began to rise, Noel said, "A technical team led by the HDC managing director, Brent Lyons, was on site to conduct an initial assessment and determine if any additional resources were required."

Seeing flood water building up nearby, the HDC team distributed sandbags and decided to add four more pumps to the retention pond, bringing the total to six.

Noel said the HDC’s Social and Community Services Department assessed residents with disabilities, and the elderly. They said they were fine and the HDC told them there was no need for panic.

Resident Marcus Roban, asked on Friday if he was satisfied with the HDC's response, said,"They came and gave my wife a sandbag and that was it.

"If you all come with a drone, and fly it over the community, you will see a lot of soil erosion. There is no way that is helping."

Roban said if he had known what life would be like there, he would not have moved.

He said some residents are seeking authorisation to add an additional storey to their houses but they have not been given adequate responses in meetings when the issue was raised.

While the HDC has built a secondary retention pond, he said it was full of slush and was counterproductive.

Another resident, Beon Roberts, said while he was pleased with the HDC's response, there was room for improvement. He said a few new drains were built and others widened, but he can see the pump system being a future problem.

"They dug some new drains but I wish they cast it (in concrete) because when the rain fall once, the slush washes back in.

"They widened some drains for the water to go to the pond, but the pump backs up (because it is too small). They will have to look at that," said Roberts.

This, he said, inhibits the flow of excess rainwater into the community's retention ponds.

Noting residents are fearful, Roberts said they are grateful to have not been flooded this time around. He said he was aware that other areas were affected on a much larger scale by the rain on Wednesday and Thursday.