‘Flooding represents failure to stay on top of river maintenance’ – Rogers
SDLP South Down MLA Seán Rogers has called on the Minister from Agriculture and Rural Development to commit to a reintroduction of a significant and consistent river maintenance programme.
Rogers said, “While we recognise the intensity of rainfall over the past few weeks it is sometimes the case that flooding simply cannot be prevented many of the incidences we have seen across the North this winter could have been curtailed. It would seem we are also reaping the consequences of a 20-30 year backlog of overdue river maintenance.
“I must remind the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who announced in the Assembly Chamber that rivers are inspected annually, that inspection does not amount to maintenance. We are now in a position where almost all river maintenance is reactionary, carried out after the damage is done rather than aiming to prevent it.
He added, “I am calling on the Minister to commit to a reintroduction of a significant and consistent river maintenance programme that would identify and secure rivers at risk of flooding.”
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