Waterloo, Leguan a Government Information Agency (GINA) release said yesterday, has suffered water accumulation and the relevant authorities are currently working to minimize damage caused by the salt water.
The spring tide, GINA said, is expected to recede by Wednesday. The Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is currently working with the Ministry of Public Works’ Sea and River Defence Unit and Leguan’s Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) “to minimize damage by the intrusion of salt water” on the Essequibo River island.
An excavator, according to GINA, has been deployed to Waterloo by the NDIA and was up to late last evening undertaking critical works to prevent further overtopping.
However, despite these reassurances residents of Henrietta and Phoenix, Leguan are nervy and are calling on the relevant bodies to do more.
“The contractors,” a Henrietta resident told Stabroek News via telephone last evening, “have been stacking boulders along Leguan’s sea defence to reinforce it but they need to do more.”
The woman, who declined to be named, said that although boulders have been “stacked high” overtopping is still occurring in that area.
“If they add at least six more inches to the wall then it will be more effective,” the woman said. “It don’t make sense for them to do anything if they keep doing it half way.”
Though there is overtopping in the Henrietta/Phoenix area, she said, flooding has not yet occurred.
However, should the spring tide continue until tomorrow, the resident opined, water accumulation will most likely occur in these areas as well.
Stabroek News could not contact a Waterloo resident for a comment last night. Several efforts made to contact Lionel Wordsworth, Chief Executive Officer of the NDIA, were also futile.
However, the GINA release assured that the Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies will continue to monitor the situation closely to minimize the contamination of irrigation water by salt water due to the current overtopping.
Farmers and residents are also being asked to cooperate with these agencies to take necessary precautions and report any incidents of overtopping or tampering with drainage and irrigation structures.
The Ministry’s hotline numbers are 223-7219 and 227-5049.
Just last Thursday several homes on the West Coast of Demerara were under water as residents of villages between Den Amstel and Uitvlugt close to the seawall felt the effects of a towering spring tide.
