Deputy Prime Minister, Reginald Austrie, has said that the government will monitor the effects of the weather on Portsmouth following widespread flooding in the second town recently.
He said steps, such as designing and building river defense walls, will be taken to prevent disasters in the future.
“The medium to long term solution to the problem is one we have to look seriously begin to design and build river defense walls on both sides of the river because both sides of the river are being threatened,” he stated this week on Kairi FM.
The Dominica Meteorological Service reported that on Saturday, November 10, four inches of rain pummelled Dominica triggering flooding, landslides and falling rocks across the island.
Authorities said the northern and interior parts of Dominica were more severely affected with Austrie telling state-owned DBS Radio on Monday, November 12, that the entire town of Portsmouth was flooded. He said this happened after the North River, and other rivers in the area, were blocked by debris.
In the aftermath of the flooding, Austrie said that Gabion Baskets were used before along the banks of the North River but they got damaged over time and they are not as effective as they used to be.
“The government is seeking to replace some sort of defense wall,” he explained. “I am not sure yet what the engineers will come up with, it’s an engineering exercise, we are not sure if we will go back to Gabion or we will build solid concrete walls or what methods that will be used.”
He said that engineers from the Public Works Department visited the area and they are now busy designing a river defense wall to protect the people of Portsmouth from the river.
Austrie also said that the government is still accessing the damages done by the heavy rains across Dominica.
“We have some initial figures,” he remarked. “I don’t want to speak to them right now. The rain continues to fall, so I figure that once we finish gathering all the information, all across the country, we will be able to tell the country what is the estimated cost of the damage, which will also include the cost of restoration …”
The ‘government’ is taking the citizens of Portsmouth for granted and worse even for a ride! See Ross university, see the poor infrastructure in and around Portsmouth, see the hospital… Portsmouth needs to teach the DLP and its leaders a lesson they won’t forget.
“The government is seeking to replace some sort of defense wall,” he explained. “I am not sure yet what the engineers will come up with, it’s an engineering exercise, we are not sure if we will go back to Gabion or we will build solid concrete walls or what methods that will be used.” He said that engineers from the Public Works Department visited the area and they are now busy designing a river defense wall to protect the people of Portsmouth from the river.
That sounds about right in terms of the usual way we go about fixing, roads, bridges and mitigating against flooding!
I support gabion
Clearly these guys are full of it
Last election Skerrit, Ian, Reggie and the DLP told the people of Portsmouth that if they won the 2014 elections, they would build sidewalk from possie to one mile and they would bring important government offices to possie. Well the DLp won and 4 years later possie is worse than ever before. As I look at the brown dirty and muddy water on the streets of Portsmouth, I bet if Skerrit tells Ian and Reggie to tell the people of Portsmouth is gold that flowing and not muddy water, I swear the people will run and take as much of that dirty water and store it at home because Skerrit, Ian and Reggie tell them is gold. Never have I seen people so brainwashed in my life!
Lies you are telling again, Austrie. You and the government are planning to do NOTHING. The same way you told the citizens you would do something about the temporary Bailey bridges and the sea Defense wall at the airport. You said you would do but alas 3 years later and nothing happens. Austrie you are a member of a government that talks and promises a lot but delivers NOTHING!!! You and Skerrit are absolutely useless. Having said that you are pretty good at fleecing the treasury. By the way where is your master. Gone to New York or Dubai again on the country’s exspense?