Dear Editor,
I refer to the recent flooding in Georgetown that normally occurs around this time of the year, and say that myself another engineer, Mike Ragwen, were involved in trying to solve the problem during the 1970s.
For Greater Georgetown east of Sherriff Street the undersigned designed a double pump station and installed two pumps with outlets through the existing sea wall, which had also been built a few years earlier by the undersigned. I also designed a double culvert under the roadway and this was built by a local contractor, Torrington and Torrington.
Mr Ragwen designed the drain that extends as far back as Roxanne Burnham Gardens. Concrete syphons were also designed and placed under the estate and Booker canals. The city council was responsible for the maintenance of the syphons and the drain, but I believe they have never been maintained since they were built.
The city did re-imburse the contractor for the cost of the culvert. The pump station was provided free by the Hydraulics Division.
For Georgetown proper west of Sheriff Street, I proposed to the city that they clean out the drains on a regular basis; build a façade drain parallel to the river dam; and install pump stations which would be designed in such a way to clean out the outfalls which are always silted up, and then afterwards open up the sluice doors to save on electricity costs.
Unfortunately, Mr Meyers the Town Clerk at the time, stated the city had no money and the work was aborted.
Yours faithfully,
Malcolm Alli
