A $23-million sum that was budgeted for road rehabilitation in the Corporate Area by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has been repurposed to clear choked drains and restore polluted coastlines in an effort to prevent flooding if the country faces heavy rain during the current hurricane season.

In making the announcement on Thursday, Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby warned that disposal of garbage is draining the municipality’s financial resources as the KSAMC started phase one of the drainage-cleaning project in preparation for the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1 and ends on November 30.

While pointing to the importance of unclogged drains and clean coastlines, Swaby pointed out that poor waste management is costing the city a great deal of money to pick up after illegal dumpers.