Whilst Government had allotted a portion of the funds previously paid out by the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) for the restoration of the road in White Hill, St. Andrew, restoration plans are currently on hold, as a final decision is made on that road, which was badly damaged in a landslide in November 2014.
Barbados received a payout of US$1 284 882 for a trough system which occurred on November 21, 2014, from the CCRIF, now referred to as the CCRIF Segregated Portfolio Company (CCRIF SPC). Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Christopher Sinckler noted yesterday that those funds were to be used to fix roads in Barbados, including the road at White Hill. However, he explained the delay with the process, while speaking at a brief “CCRIF Payout” ceremony and press conference, held yesterday at Government Headquarters.
“Part of those resources are still earmarked to go towards the restoration of White Hill, but there are some engineering and environmental challenges at White Hill, that are not easily dispensed with,” Sinckler revealed.
“I know the Ministry of Transport and Works has commissioned a major engineering assessment to be done before we go in and try to put in a permanent fixture in there. We have done some temporary stuff there with some of the resources, yes, but that is not going to hold, because …as you know it is a Scotland District area and it has always been subject to (land) slippage. So the question is, engineering wise, do you spend all of those resources in there and then have an event six months from now, a year from now and the entire thing washes away again or do you just abandon it and seek to relocate the residents and there have been varying opinions,” the Finance Minister further remarked.
Sinckler noted that engineers and geologists are currently studying the topography of the area and advising Government accordingly.
“And their simple advice so far is, you don’t rush and do anything there, because you may not get the results that you want long-term. So we are holding on that,” Sinckler said. (RSM)
