Breached!
Sandy Gully base, walls compromised; houses at risk
Published:Thursday | December 5, 2024 | 12:08 AMEdmond Campbell/Senior Staff Reporter
Member of Parliament for St Andrew Western Anthony Hylton has reported that the base of the Sandy Gully and its reinforced concrete walls, on both sides of the gully, have been breached in the wake of the recent heavy rainfall.
Hylton told members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday that during the heavy rainfall, the blocked waterway caused the water in the gully to rise to a level threatening the Spanish Town road bridge as well as the communities upstream and downstream from the bridge.
For years, Hylton has used the State of the Constituency Debate to highlight the state of the Sandy Gully, which he referred to as “the advancing Grey Rhinoceros”.
Describing the condition of the waterway, Hylton said that from the bridge on Spanish Town Road one can see the virtual forest of trees and shrubs, mounds of garbage, and blocked waste in the Sandy Gully.
“The records of this House will accurately reflect my several urgent appeals to the Government to act boldly to avoid the catastrophic impact of what I called the ‘Grey Rhinoceros’ heading towards the Sandy Gully, a metaphor for the imminent threat posed to the communities adjoining the gully, when the flood waters breach the gully walls.”
The opposition MP stressed that in the aftermath of the recent heavy rainfall, both the base of the Sandy Gully and its reinforced concrete walls have been breached, leaving houses on the Dill Path/Waterhouse side of the gully hanging precariously.
At the time of his presentation on Tuesday afternoon, Hylton indicated that “neither the prime minister, whose constituency adjoins my constituency where the breaches occurred, nor the erstwhile minister with responsibility for works [Robert Morgan] has visited the area to appreciate the imminent dangers faced by entire communities should this danger not be averted forthwith”.
According to Hylton, the response from the Government to his urgent plea on behalf of the residents has been that “something” will be in the next Budget. However, he said in the meantime, the terrified community members are agitating for action to be taken now.