Dear Editor,
One is hard-pressed to understand why in our flood-prone coastland we still construct a public building flat down on low ground. I am writing this with the just-completed BV Nursery School in mind, built in the north-western corner of the BV playfield on the East Coast.
By now, one would have thought our designers would raise the lower floors of these buildings several feet off the ground to ensure they can still function on rainy days. Not only that, but also to ensure such buildings can serve as shelters or storage bonds should another major flood event, such as those in 2005 and 2006, visit us.
What about all the talk about global climate change and sea level rise and increased rainfall intensity? And as I watch the drainage and storage capacity of the canals along the East Coast highway being converted into narrow gutters to make the road wider, I wonder what informs these big decisions. Maybe, Editor, your journalists can seek explanations from the Minister of Public Works.
But back to the school. Our toddlers are going to have a neat and comfortable structure come September. Maybe, some believe that’s all that matters.
Yours faithfully,
Sherwood Lowe
