The Dickon Mitchell-led government in St. George’s is confronting the aftermath of a relentless shear line-induced rainfall that struck the northern portions of the western and eastern parishes earlier this week with significant flooding and landslides recorded in the villages of Pointzfield, Marli, Lower Marli, Waltham, Hermitage, Chantimelle, Snell Hall, Mt. Fendue, Non Pariel and Madeys.

Widespread damages have been reported as two (2) families find themselves displaced, agricultural crops are lost, and certain villages are left without water.

The dire situation, said Member of Parliament for the severely affected St. Patrick East constituency, Dennis Cornwall underscores the imperative to reinforce rural infrastructure to better withstand and mitigate the severe impact of climate change.

Minister Cornwall, who holds the Finance portfolio in the 1-month old Congress government, addressed the issue at a press conference in St. George’s on Wednesday, urging residents to refrain from improper waste disposal in rivers and ravines, while emphasising the potential repercussions.

“Climate change is alive and kicking in our region, and we need to make sure that we do not throw debris, bottles, or whatever it is in our rivers to ensure that it is not blocked…because it will come back to haunt us at the end of the day,” the minister cautioned.

Member of Parliament for St. Patrick East, Foreign Minister Joseph Andall disclosed that there was severe infrastructural damage in his constituency and pointed to significant erosion and earth movement attributed to improper debushing methods.

He cited the need for a serious re-evaluation of debushing practices to prevent further costly and disastrous consequences.

“When all of the grass, all the vegetation is removed from the slopes it means that whenever there is heavy rainfall there is no buffer, no cushion for the rain, and it goes directly onto the soil making it a lot easier for the damage we witnessed over the last couple of days to occur.

“I think going forward we need to take a very serious look at the way we prepare, and train people so engaged in the task of so-called de-bushing because if not done properly, it can have disastrous and expensive consequences.”

Both Ministers were accompanied by Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure Development Dickon Mitchell when they visited the affected areas on Tuesday.

The state-controlled National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) has reported severe damages to at least four water systems affecting consumers in the entire parish of St. Patrick onto Dunfermline in St. Andrew.

According to Communications Supervisor Jamila Lewis, it is difficult at this stage to put a timeline for restoration of water supply to the affected areas.

“We cannot at this time provide a timeline for when we expect restoration,” said Lewis as she urged consumers to be patient as NAWASA works to restore a consistent supply of water.

As the government assesses the full extent of damages, coordination between various agencies remains essential to facilitate an efficient and comprehensive response to the aftermath of the heavy rainfalls.

The National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) is tasked with preparing a comprehensive report to guide infrastructural work aimed at mitigating future flooding and landslides.

Director of the agency, Terrence Walters has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to collaborating with the Ministry of Infrastructure to expedite the clearance of damages.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and provide whatever assistance is necessary,” said Dr. Walters, who gave assurances that updates will be provided to the general public as necessary.

The torrential rainfall comes on the heels of The 28th Conference of Parties meeting in Dubai, where Climate Resilience Minister Kerryne James highlighted the need for over US$ 700 million dollars to implement climate Resilience projects locally.