Flooding: Fermanagh community calls for long-term solution

People living in a County Fermanagh community are calling for a long-term solution to flooding in their area.

It is a recurring problem in Boho and recent heavy rainfall has again led to the closure of several roads.

A number of farms and houses as well as a primary school face disruption, which could last for days.

However residents have been told the costs of a flood alleviation scheme "far outweigh any benefits" that would be gained.

Dessie McKenzie, the owner of the Linnet Inn in Boho, said the flooding causes "terrible disruption" and local people are "fed up".

In 2019, he said one road was closed for the entire month of February.

"Any time we get an extreme weather warning we expect these roads to be badly flooded and peoples' lives are going to be impacted for maybe days or possibly weeks," he said.

"People have to seek alternative methods of getting their children to school, going to work etc.

"People are just really fed up with it at this stage."

He said of the four roads leading in and out of Boho, two are closed and a third is on the verge of being flooded.

Sinn Féin assembly member Jemma Dolan recently presented a petition to Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon calling for action to tackle the problem.

Mrs Mallon said the large majority of flooding incidents were caused when water levels rose in the Sillees River.

"Officials have in the past considered a flood alleviation scheme for this area, which would involve the diversion of the Sillees River and improve the gradient in this flat and slow-flowing river," she said.

"Unfortunately, the costs of these proposals far outweigh any benefits in terms of flood alleviation that would be gained."

The minister said works were being carried out by her department to try to mitigate against any increased risk of flooding in the area and was due to be completed by the end of the financial year.

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"Previous efforts by my department to raise the road level have not been successful due to settlement," she added.

"In addition, my department has established a community resilience group in the Boho area, to help residents be more resilient to the impacts of flooding.

"Officials have also developed strong links with other response organisations and the voluntary sector, to provide co-ordinated multi-agency support to individual properties or communities that may be cut off by flood water and require access to essential services."

Dessie McKenzie said people want to know the details and costs of a long-term solution.

"You can be resilient so many times but this is not happening once in five or 10 years, this is happening seven, eight, nine times a year where people are massively impacted in this area," he said.

"We need to know how much it's going to cost and we need to know what are the alternative solutions."