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The E.T. Joshua Airport was flooded on Satruday. (Internet photo)
The E.T. Joshua Airport was flooded on Satruday. (Internet photo)
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Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on Tuesday acknowledged citizens’ frustration with the flooding of the E.T. Joshua Airport and Kingstown when there are torrential rains.

Kingstown and the airport were flooded when a low-level trough system brought torrential rains on Saturday.

The airport was closed until past 5 p.m. as a result of the flood, leaving in- and out-bound passengers stranded.

The floods also deposited large amount of silt and other debris in the nation’s capital.

“I know that there are complaints being made about anytime [there is] a whole set of rains that the airport is flooded. Well, I inquired about the cleaning of the drains. [Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Godfred Pompey] told me that the drains were cleaned a few days before. But when you have the landslides, the landslides they come down, they bring down a lot of debris and they block the very drains,” Gonsalves told a press conference on Tuesday.

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Gonsalves said while citizens “must be critical and always doing the assessments in a critical manner, we must not do them in a hysterical manner and let us just be calm about these things, because, when disasters happen, above all else, we need calm, and we need all hands on deck.

“As soon as these things happen, all soldiers, metaphorically, must report for duty. I mean that is the nature of the business. That’s why I have commended the various persons who reported for duty — some of them named, some of them unnamed,” Gonsalves further said.

He also addressed the drainage problem in Kingstown.

“We know the drainage problems in Kingstown and it is not true that drains have not been cleared in Kingstown. The drains have been cleared in Kingstown, but we do have structurally a drainage problem and this is an age-old challenge. I am hopeful that we will be able to on a longer term basis be able to solve the problem, and I am hopeful that when we have the new city at Arnos Vale that we’d be able to create the necessary problem wherein we would be able to do some significant remedial work in the drainage system in the city,” he said.

Kingstown was also flooded on Saturday. (Photo: Colvin Harry/Facebook)
Kingstown was also flooded on Saturday. (Photo: Colvin Harry/Facebook)

5 replies on “PM notes citizens’ frustration with flooding of airport, Kingstown”

  1. The reason that Kingstown and the airport flood is debris in drains above Kingstown and the airport. Drains were at one time cleaned on a never ending cycle, every day, every week and every month. But since the government stopped putting the money in, the drains are maintained for one or two days every three months. Consequently every time there is heavy rain the debris and brush accumulated in the drains on higher ground gets washed down and eventually blocks the free flow of water. Hence overflowing drains and ditches and the flooding of Kingstown and the airport on a regular basis.

    When you have a bankrupt Marxist government that only has funds for the building of the airport at Argyle, what do you expect.

    1. Peter, this is not confined to Kingstown but is a chronic problem all across the country with drains, gutters, culverts, rivers, and dense roadside foliage left clogged and overgrown for months. And don’t mention the filthy beaches which are rarely if ever cleaned anymore. No wonder people are increasing calling SVG “Little Haiti.” But this has less to do with “Marxism” than with poor funding and lax oversight.

  2. Rafael Stefania says:

    What a joke. 2014 and STV&G still has no good prospects for the future of the country and the countries youth. Wailing in self pity and making ignorant speaches about “the comrade”and so on as if they do not realize with the reality is that they are living in. No one can come up with a development plan that in the long run will guarantee self sufficiency for the nationals and progress and development for the country. If things continue in the foolish ignorant manner as usual then in fifty years down the road of regrets and failure things will not change. I feel sorry for the poor youth of STV&G. All talk and no action governments and polititions.

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