Letter: Rivers must be cleared

That's fine of course for the relatively few people who benefit from these phenomenally expensive initiatives, but it's what they are not doing that concerns me and the vast number of people who happen to live in river catchments.

I live on the river in an at-risk area and I see at first hand the consequences of the lack of bank clearance, dredging etc which traditionally kept the watercourses flowing freely.

Back in the day, prior to them being absorbed into the EA, the National Rivers Authority and their predecessors the Severn Trent Water Authority managed the rivers.

They had their own budget and remit and took pride in keeping the waters flowing in times of flood and free from the pollution and detritus that is prevalent today.

I talk on occasion to the EA operatives who previously used to respond to reports of log-jams with speed and efficiency, but it doesn't happen now.

The budgets have been cut, manpower depleted, and morale is low.

Teams that once were delegated to scheduled bank clearance have been disbanded, and the official response to fallen trees in the river is that 'it's good for the wildlife'. No wonder then that half the country is under water.

The disingenuous flood warnings that the EA issue on an almost daily basis, are not because of 'unprecedented rainfall' or 'climate change,' but they are the inevitable consequence of the lack of a properly funded strategy to manage our watercourses in a competent and conscientious manner.

A J Willetts, Craven Arms