Hon. Joseph Gilbert Minister of Communications, Works and the Environment Ministerial Complex Hon. Sylvester Quarless Minister of State Ministry of Communications, Works and the Environment Ministerial Complex Dear Honourable Ministers, Though it is more than 100 days since the July 8th elections, permit me to offer my congratulations on your success at the polls and ascent to political office. As representatives of “we, the people”, all eyes will be on you. We look forward to genuine commitment to being a “wind of change” which necessarily means that we the people look forward to new approaches in dealing with old problems. We do not anticipate “Same old! Same old!” The Ministry of Communications and Works is, politically, a significant ministry, ALWAYS receiving a substantial allocation of the nation’s SCARCE financial resources – a lot of these resources being LOAN or grant funds, which necessarily means that we the people also have to repay this money or taxpayers in other countries have paid. Now that this Ministry has also been assigned responsibility for the sensitive area of ENVIRONMENT, we the people have even more reason to pay close attention to the functioning of this Ministry. I take the opportunity to congratulate your Ministry on its decision in respect of sand mining and the protection of the nation’s beaches. However, through no fault of yours, it has come way too late. We have lost the beach on the scenic River Antoine coastline and erected an EXTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE SEAWALL, when all that was required was a halt to sand mining in the area some 10 years ago and the re-vegetation of the beach. But even more significant is the fact that the Government of Grenada , through the statutory body “Gravel and Concrete Corporation” has been the WORST OFFENDER in the destruction of the nation’s beaches on the East Coast. Therefore, Honourable Ministers, in my opinion, twinning the Ministry of Environment with the Ministry of Communication and Works is a no-no! This is like putting the cat to guard the cheese!! And, other than yourselves, the same cats are making or advising on certain key decisions!! Over the last five (5) years, I have offered to your predecessors a number of observations, queries and concerns in respect of significant projects being undertaken, particularly road works. Permit me the opportunity to offer the following for your attention and information: 1. Debushing/Road Work Programme: The current debushing programme is a clear example of the UNSUITABILITY of the Ministry of Communications and Works to also be the Ministry of Environment. Over the years, decision makers and policy makers in the Ministry of Communications and Works have not DEMONSTRATED any iota of BASIC UNDERSTANDING or RESPECT for the environment. Year after year after year, the side of the road is left BARE, exposed to the elements of sun and rain , only to result in landslides and blocked drains when the rainy season arrives. There seems to be a particular ASSAULT ON TREES. I am particularly AGGRIEVED by the ASSAULT on the trees lining the area along the Upper Lucas Street boundaries of Government House. Was it necessary to just CHOP down all of those trees on the side there, leaving the BARE EARTH EXPOSED? Do we understand that we have deprived the area of the SHADE and the COOLING effect of those trees in addition to pre-disposing the exposed soil to landslides? Are we aware what the destruction of those trees means in the hot, dry season for people walking, driving or living along that route? Why is there this CHAINSAW assault on the bamboo patches? Aren’t persons aware of the excellent job that bamboo does in stabilizing slopes? And to add insult to injury the stuff was piled along the road for DAYS??!! I also take the opportunity to comment on the TIME WASTED by the crew that was responsible for paving the road. I have not seen anything like that in a long while. For nearly two days, members of the crew were camped out in front of a certain office, like it was a LIME. I understood that they had not received the material to “touch up” the road so work was STALLED. Honourable Minsters, who or what in your Ministry is RESPONSIBLE for OVERSEEING/SUPERVISING this programme? Is it incompetence, indifference or sabotage? May I note that I have NEVER once seen anyone who appeared to be overseeing or monitoring the work and I plied that route several times a day. I respectfully submit, Sirs, that in a number of areas such as along Lowther’s Lane and Upper Lucas Street, where teams have done a heck of a job clearing and chopping down, they would have been better employed planting grass banks to stabilize the slope. I have understood that the debushing/road work programme will be re-engineered. I trust that it will be re-engineered to enhance the skills and productivity levels of the persons involved so that they and the nation can reap tangible and sustainable benefits from the programme. 2. Government House: Is the Ministry of Communications and Works responsible for the maintenance Government House and its grounds? Perhaps someone in your Ministry can explain why the grounds were allowed to become almost forest in the first place. Even if the building could not be repaired, there was no need to allow grounds to fall into that state. The ad hoc clearing began in the period leading up to the July elections. Once could understand the electioneering. However, I fail to comprehend the ONSLAUGHT that is now being conducted in the vicinity of Lucas Street without any APPARENT SUPERVISION. I suggest, Sirs, that the forces of Her Majesty ’s Prison are capable of clearing and maintaining the Government House grounds. Any effort to restore and rehabilitate the grounds should be properly SUPERVISED by persons who KNOW WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT. I suggest that the effort be a special project with a TRAINING component in landscaping and gardening assigned to the education programme of Her Majesty’s Prisons. The support of the Grenada Horticultural Society and the Forestry Department could be co-opted. A number of the trees, which are ornamentals, can be removed and replanted elsewhere. We in Grenada apparently have not understood that, following Hurricane Ivan, Grenada has not engaged in any significant tree replanting exercise and that trees are treasures, not bush!!! 3. Road Works: I take the opportunity to suggest, Sirs, that an AUDIT be carried out of the major road works carried out by CCC- CCI over the last 5 years, particularly works conducted under the Bridges and Roads Improvement Project ((BRIMP). It is public knowledge that the works were SHODDILY done and this rainy season has borne testimony to that fact. Consider the area of road from Tempe junction (near the Coke Factory) to the Tanteen Roundbout (next to the Ministerial Complex). This was part of BRIMP which was hurried in time for Cricket World Cup 2007. Also consider the Morne Jaloux/Richmond Hill works, which began well before the 2003 elections and was completed in 2005/2006. 3.1 Rockfall and Landslides: During the last two months, your Ministry would note the number of landslides that have been cleared on Lowther’s Lane in the vicinity of Blue Danube where the corner was cut to widen the road. Every time that there has been a heavy shower, there has been a landslide. There is need for slope stabilization by planting grass barriers and completion of a retaining wall. I wish to observe that this is work which was completed (?) in 2007. In the vicinity of the White Gun junction, there has been rockfall in two separate locations, every time there has been a heavy shower. Again, these are areas where the corner was cut or the area widened. It is clear, Sirs, that the Grenadian taxpayers HAVE NOT GOTTEN VALUE FOR MONEY in respect of road works done by the choice contractors of NNP regime, CCC/CCI, and the consultants, Dessau- Soprin. I therefore suggest, Sirs, that a SYSTEMATIC EVALUATION be done of all works in the interest of public safety and saving Grenada millions of dollars that will have to be undertaken in remedial works in the future. 2.2 Drainage: Drainage is a deficiency of the road works that has been carried out by the CCC- CCI contractors, supervised by consultants Dessau - Soprin. In spite of the very deep, re-inforced concrete drains, that characterizes the road works of CCC in the Morne Jaloux-Richmond Hill area, it is an absolutely AMAZING sight, whenever there is a heavy shower, to see the volume of water running along the road, bouncing off the little side walls and meandering from side to side until it gets to the White Gun junction, where it then meanders along the St. Paul’s main road. These works also resulted in the BLOCKAGE of the drains from White Gun junction, running in the southerly direction to the Government House roundabout. The contractors never bothered to clean the drains after they had blocked them during their works. And the many subsequent debushing/roadworks programme never addressed this problem either. Along Lowther’s Lane , one can also see the water running along the road when there is a heavy shower. 3. Environmental Impact Assessments: I trust, Sirs, that Environmental Impact Assessments will become a feature of all major road works and other government infrastructural projects. This should assist in better designed and implemented projects which show due REGARD for people’s property and the environment. It appeared that CCC-CCI contractors seemed to have had a particular hostility to TREES and bulldozed them without any regard to the important functions that they served. I think of the mahogany trees that fell victim to these contractors in the Morne Jaloux and Richmond Hill areas and the flamboyants along the Lowther’s Lane. I trust, Sirs, that under your watch, contracts with CCC-CCI will be something of the PAST , that a “green” approach will be taken to road works and that planting trees will become a part of major works. 4. Physical Planning Regulation and Vigilance: Inappropriate construction by private individuals et al have also contributed to road damage, particularly during the rainy season. In some cases, persons have been allowed to build too near to the road and the integrity of the road has been compromised during the building process. I have also noted that driveways are being inappropriately built, without any adequate drainage provisions so that water runs off into the road instead of into the drains. Upper Lucas Street is a good example of where this has happened/is happening. In the Church Street area, on the side of the road opposite the entrance to the alley, the debris and other material from a “newly constructed building that should have NEVER been” has blocked the main drain. Whenever there is a heavy shower, the blockage results in all the water running on the road. This is RIDICULOUS!! When an event happens and the road is affected, the Ministry is expected to put things right and we the people foot the bill. 4.1. Flooding in the Grand Anse Area: Flooding in the Grand Anse area has become more frequent. I have noted public comments from Minister Gilbert that most of this flooding is related to blocked drains. I beg to disagree. While blocked drains have undoubtedly contributed to the problem, the major issue is the apparent unregulated physical and commercial development taking place on the various hillsides in the Grand Anse area. There is a great deal of run-off which has not been planned for. It must also be remembered that a large portion of the Morne Rouge area is wetlands which have been filled in so that the natural drainage has been obstructed and the existing drainage is now unable to deal with the volume of run off. It is also of concern that “green areas” in the Grand Anse area are rapidly disappearing. It therefore seems to me, Sirs, that there needs to be more VIGILANT MONITORING AND RIGOUROUS ENFORCEMENT OF REGULATIONS by the Land Development Control Authority and Physical Planning Unit in the context of a LAND USE and a PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN. I take this opportunity to draw to your attention, Honourable Ministers, the volume of water which runs along the Grand Anse Main road, finding itself onto the entrance leading to the Grand Anse beach , running along the road and the enhanced drain, then along the beach and emptying into the sea, just in front of the residence of the Catholic sisters. It should be of concern, Honourable Ministers, that when this happens, the sea water is discoloured and dirty. I also want to note, Sirs, that this drainage problem is also linked to SHODDY ROAD WORKS, previously undertaken by the contractors of choice during the NNP regime. Similarly, water emptying into the sea via the storm drain which passes through the Grand Beach Property discolours and dirties that area of sea in the vicinity of the jetty in front of Grand Beach. Therefore, Sirs, while the problem of flooding may be PARTLY addressed by cleaning the drains, I suggest that another problem is being created for the Grand Anse beach and the Ministry of Tourism if that dirty water continues to empty straight into the sea in the Grand Anse beach area. I understand that there is a sewage main in the vicinity and efforts need to be made to have the water emptying into that sewage system rather than directly into the sea. I thank you, Sirs, for the opportunity to offer these observations, queries and concerns for your attention. Should your Ministry be considering appointing Road Works Watchers, I hereby submit my application for any of the positions. I am confident that former Works Minister, Hon. Clarice Modeste-Curwen, would be pleased to recommend me. Honourable Ministers, permit me to extend my best wishes for the holiday season to you and your staff at the Ministry. Sincerely yours, Sandra C. A. Ferguson INSIDE GRENADA NEWS