Clr Carlos da Rocha, from ward 66, spent last weekend attending to the complaints of flooding in Kensington.
“As the rainy season begins, phone calls from residents calling about flooding also starts. It is sad to see how quickly residents lose everything within minutes of flooding. It is concerning to see the damages to people’s possessions and property because of flooding. One of the reasons for flooding in residential areas is people who block drainage systems. People are causing floods by constructing driveways that impact on the drainage system. There are also low-lying property owners who have built rooms or cottages against properties situated higher than them, not considering that this could lead to the top property flooding. If there is flooding, both properties could suffer damage because of the lack of drainage,” said Clr Da Rocha.
He said he asked some property owners to address the problems but they were hostile and un-cooperative.
“People must understand the law clearly states that the natural flow of water must not be interrupted. Residents who suffer from flooding can take the guilty party to court and sue for damages if it can be proven the damages were caused due to the interruption of the natural flow of water. I have also found that some owners block the drainage holes. This also causes flooding and is illegal,” said Clr Da Rocha.
He said it is also illegal for property owners to connect their storm water to the drain to prevent flooding. “By doing this, the property owner is causing properties downhill to get flooded.
“When a low-lying resident builds a driveway, or does paving, they should lay a drain pipe under the paving so that water can drain from the top property.
“By doing this, the bottom property owner will in the long run save money and protect their property from damage, while protecting the top property from flooding,” said Clr Da Rocha.
He urged property owners to be considerate towards others.
“I also ask all residents to report any storm water drains that are blocked to me so I can deal with them,” said Clr Da Rocha.
