Improvements made in flood prone areas will be maintained despite the discontinuation of the National Environment Enhancement Programme (NEEP).
This assurance has come from Minister of the Environment and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe, who made it clear that attention would still be given to critical areas around the country.
His comments were made during a recent interview with the Barbados Government Information Service. Dr. Lowe said that while a decrease in the amount of work done by the NEEP workers was expected, the reality was that the Drainage Division was still fully operational.
???What I hope to see happen over the coming months is a total reorganising of the Drainage Division to fully assess where there may be serious threats to the ultimate viability of our flood management programme,??? he noted.
The Minister added that he was aware of the need for critical help in operating vital pieces of equipment in the Drainage Division, and gave the assurance that an effort was being made to address that issue.
Noting that there were some communities where urgent and critical help was required to address some drainage-related challenges, Dr. Lowe gave the guarantee that the Government remained consciously aware that flooding must never become part of the experiences of Barbadians again.
???It is my view that as a Government we must continue to safeguard our citizens, our infrastructure, and other related interests from the ravages of unmanaged flooding circumstances,??? the Minister declared.
julia.rawlins-bentham@barbados.gov.bb