Dear Editor,
The letter written by Charles Sohan titled, ‘The city needs a plan of action quickly to deal with flooding’ (SN 22.4.09) is useful, and provides helpful information for the council, the citizens, the government, the international community and all who are concerned about the welfare of our capital. The writer ought to be commended.
However, he is not accurate when he stated that the city had done nothing; fairer comment may be perhaps not enough, even though I regard the letter as coming from a truly concerned citizen.
We need to put this question of drainage, or some may prefer “flooding” of the city in the proper context by restating the following facts.
First, Georgetown is below sea level, and at high tide is protected from complete inundation by a sea wall to the north and west, and ten kokers (canal and sluice gates) along the Demerara River which must be closed at high tide twice daily. Without these in layman’s language, the city is a basin
Earlier, the city did reasonably well with gravity drainage alone. However, we have suffered many environmental changes over the last three generations, which led to the need to provide additional support to drain the city. We catered for a small and more disciplined population in this main urban centre. The Mayor and City Council had a larger work force with a committed middle supervisory cadre. Truly this is the situation generally.
We have suffered from a lowering of standards in some areas and what is known as the Peter Principle – promoting people above their level of competence (an excellent sergeant made an inspector becomes ineffective). This was exacerbated by a decision to expand the city limits to take in former villages.
Further, for years we failed (every government before and after Independence) to satisfy the demand for housing or house lots in the capital, hence the wanton and destructive squatting along our canals with all of the known negatives. Beautiful one and two-family homes were rebuilt to accommodate more families.
These factors were made critical because of poor planning. Of course the main bugbear was a woeful shortage of money. For years we have been starved of this vital resource. Everything these days requires money. Even as I write, to desilt drains and remove waste from most areas cost more than all of the taxes collectable. This week we are in Tiger Bay, millions being spent, but little taxes collectable from that community.
The Georgetown Development Plan 2001-2010 for the orderly development of Georgetown was prepared by an eminent town planner, and accepted by all of the stakeholders but has so far been ignored.
Some unfortunate decisions were taken by a previous administration. One glaring example was how easily the M&CC was tricked by the sugar barons to take over and fill up major waterways, because the sugar estates no longer needed them to transport sugar (in punts) to the river for export, since bulk loading trucks had been introduced. For example, the Punt Trench canal was filled up and is now Independence Boulevard. This was dug in places as deep as 40 feet for obvious reasons – it was a huge area to hold water from the edge of the city during heavy rainfall.
Merriman Mall, John Ford Car Park etc, were all former waterways which provided storage during rainfall and they were filled up – folly on hindsight, or sheer stupidity.
Next, our laws were not adjusted to prevent persons concreting yards and sealing large areas of the city. Before this, the rainfall was absorbed easily through the porous clay (mud) in most parts of Georgetown.
Further, earlier we had used vats which collected water from our roofs for domestic purposes. With the introduction of pure water (sic), wastage took place, and there was more water to get off the land.
Because of certain global changes before the early 20th century, our outfall channels experienced heavy siltation requiring constant dredging or clearing. (Millions are needed plus the appropriate equipment.) It is believed the sling mud discharged from the mighty Amazon is responsible for this. The condition slows up the flow of water from the city canals, whether by gravity when kokers are open, or by pumping.
The Demerara River bar has not been effectively dredged for years. This provides another restriction of water escaping into the Atlantic from the city. This too is critical. But actions were taken from time to time.
While holding ministerial office in 1976, the massive and vital Downer Canal (3-4 miles from Cane View Avenue to the Liliendaal Pump on the East Coast, was dug. This helps to collect and hold water for dispatch to the Atlantic, etc.
The Downer canal needs to be rehabilitated. This remains our responsibility, but it is a massive and costly undertaking. Last week, the Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture promised to assist.
At Kitty and Liliendaal, some have argued for diesel operated pumps. However, if we wish to stay with electrically driven pumps, the GPL must provide at least an alternative link to the pumps so that when one ‘line’ goes, there is an alternative source of power. The city, of course, is exceedingly thankful for the government’s assistance to rehabilitate the two pumps at Liliendaal and replace the ones at Kitty.
Some time ago, we raised the question of seeking to find a way to reduce the use of plastic and styrofoam containers, and restrict the importation of second-hand tyres, all of which in one way or the other compromise our drainage system, or else to help deal with this assault on the city. We asked to be given some portion of the environmental tax. This rest is history.
Keeping the city well drained during heavy rainfall is a complex, costly exercise.
Can we do it – yes we can, if we all pull together.
This is my plea to Mr Sohan, those now in command and citizens.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green
Mayor
