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Government’s Operation Clean City programme is progressing and working well!

This is according to Director of Drainage, Keith Barrow, who has reported some improvement within Bridgetown and its environs since the commencement of the drainage clearing programme.

"The level of distress in the City has certainly declined over the last couple of years. Operation Clean City started in 2009/2010 and is an ongoing project. Sometimes there is a hiatus, but it goes on every year," the Drainage head explained.

Mr. Barrow, who was speaking extensively to the Barbados Government Information Service on the Drainage Division’s work programme, also had high praise for the latter project.

He cited the cleaning of the Constitution River as another of his Department’s ongoing initiatives.

"We are keeping up the work on clearing the Constitution River bed which we try to do every quarter. Work scheduled for the first quarter of this financial year has commenced and is ongoing as we speak. This continues to be a very worthwhile project with collaboration from the Ministry of Health’s Environmental Health Department (EHD) as well as the Barbados Tourism Investment Incorporated," he added.

In addition to ongoing works involving the continued cleaning of water courses in and around the City, the Drainage spokesman also highlighted a project in Consett Bay, St. John, where the Division provided assistance in keeping the main water courses clear, as part of a National Heritage Park programme.

With ??national?? attention being?? paid to mosquito and rodent control, Mr. Barrow??further?? revealed that the department had also??started collaboration with the??EHD??on another??project which looked at??mosquito breeding habits??within the Division’s??drainage facilities.

According to him, the EHD-led programme entailed the training of Drainage officers both in terms of recognition of infestation as well as treatment of drainage structures.

"We’ve continued our programme of monitoring, cleaning and clearing of the drainage structures as necessary. That continues throughout the year of course. Unfortunately, we have had very little down time, in terms of the dry season, and?? so the actual wet conditions?? continue to pose some degree of difficulty to the well cleaners," Mr. Barrow concluded, while emphasising that?? well-cleaning, as well as the digging of new wells was sub-contracted, which sometimes posed its own challenges.

Mr. Barrow said that despite various challenges, his Department was "rearing and ready to go", and gearing up for an active rainy season this year. To this end, he appealed to householders to take care of their immediate surroundings by ensuring, where possible, that wells are kept clear of debris, and by putting their garbage in the correct location and away from gutters or water courses.

carol.gaskin@barbados.gov.bb

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