Residents of West Berbice who were affected by flooding following three days of intense rainfall yesterday called for better drainage and for the recently rehabilitated pumps at Trafalgar to be put into full operation.
They told Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud when he met with them yesterday that they suffered losses to their rice, cash crops and poultry due to the flood. The minister was accompanied by a team of officials from the Region Five department and the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary- Agricultural Develop-ment Authority (MMA-ADA).
Residents of Number 29 Village opined that had the two pumps at Trafalgar that were restored last year been in operation while the sluice was closed they would not have suffered to that extent.
They felt too that the pumps had “trip out.” The Trafalgar pumps were recommissioned last year to great fanfare and assurances that they would ease flooding woes in the area.
But the residents were told that the level of rainfall recorded from Wednesday to Friday was over five inches and that the system was only configured to drain 1.5 inches of water in a 24-hour period.
Chairman of the MMA, Rudolph Gajraj admitted that the smaller pump “shut down” on Friday and needed a part but said the problem was rectified on Saturday. He said the pump is used when the water in the fa?e is at a certain level, noting that “the system was overwhelmed for the last three days and could not take off the amount of water.”
Residents in other areas such as Lovely Lass, Golden Grove, Belladrum and Bush Lot complained bitterly that most of the drainage systems were clogged up with weeds which prevented the water from flowing.
They asked for excavators to do emergency works in their areas to bring relief as well as for tubes to be installed in the drains and for the dams to be built up.
The residents expressed dissatisfaction with the work of the Neighbourhood Democratic Coun-cils (NDCs) that were mandated to take care of the residential drainage. Consequently, regional chairman, Harrinarine Baldeo would be meeting with officials of the NDCs today.
A resident of Abary Creek, Mahase, who happened to be in Bush Lot during the meeting said the entire area is flooded and that “the cows not getting grass
