The answer to flooding lies beneath our feet

Dear Editor,

The recent experiences with flooding that the citizens of Georgetown are enduring should come as no surprise. While some may argue that the pumps are not working sufficiently and others may theorise that the pumps and trenches should be taking care of the flood, there are those who blame global warming and even citizens for improper garbage disposal. The full picture of flooding and the causes thereof still need to be understood.

While I am no expert on flooding, we all may agree that there is a need to find a workable solution. Flooding will remain a major problem. I believe part of the solution lays right below our feet. The network of gutters, alleyways, trenches, and canals designed to manage Georgetown’s storm water exists. That system needs to be examined.

Editor, I wonder how many know that the small gutters found along many of the streets are concrete lined. Growing up on Charlotte Street in the 1970s, I saw the sweepers who would come by with brooms to sweep these gutters. They had a long handle to pass under the bridges and a short handle to push the water and debris between the bridges. Some may say that I am romanticizing the past. However, my point is understanding water flow. While we may not have a place for gutter sweepers, the point is the gutters need to allow water to flow. Those small gutters connect to bigger alleys. The alleys then flow to bigger trenches and canals. They need cleaning, too.

A few memories of trenches and canals include daring friends to cross the big sewer and water pipes ubiquitous to these bigger water ways. I have to say that none of us ever fell in. Another memory relates to witnessing the backhoes that would come by and desilt. The presence of herons, what we call gauldings, seemed to enjoy whatever they found in the wake of the backhoe’s deposits of silt. And, yes, I can still smell the rich Demerara mud. Another memory was seeing the “Koker man” riding his bike. We knew him because when we walked to the Seawall and passed through Kingston, we saw him either operating the sluice or waiting around. What for, we had no idea.

As the subject matter ministers stand around blaming and wondering about pumps, garbage, and global warming, among others, the full scope of Georgetown’s problem is not for the few to solve. To poach a famous line, and, as I remind myself, “It’s the system, stupid.” Pumps alone cannot clear the water. Garbage management is its own problem. That needs a cultural shift. It’s not only global warming. That’s a humongous problem. We should focus on the localized context. The gutters and alleys need to be cleared and connected. The trenches and canals need desilting. Let’s start with the basics and test the impact.