The Ministry of Public Works has sought the army’s help to keep trucks off sections of the Linden to Lethem trail as engineers battle the weather to repair areas that were washed away by recent heavy rains.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday Works Minister Robeson Benn said that the trucks failed to heed a request not to traverse the savannah section of the trail between Kurupukari and Lethem and this led to deep ruts being created in areas that were about a foot under water.

“These deep ruts make big holes and some of them got to three feet deep and our contractor was unable to do work on the road, he had to be winching them out,” Benn said. According to the minister, more than six trucks had to be assisted over the last three days.

“We did ask the army’s assistance last evening (Tuesday) to ensure that no heavily laden truck, no truck, should come through from the Lethem side … at least for the next three days (from Wednesday). We’ve asked our contractor there to ensure he works 24 hours with all his operatives,” Benn stated.

He pointed out that pickups and other light vehicles will be allowed through and that he hoped to have the situation rectified by Saturday, weather permitting.  The intention is to have the Mekdeci Machinery and  Construction (MMC) control the flow of traffic from Kurupukari to ensure trucks do not pass.

Meanwhile, he said Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL) had completed works to a bridge in the Kurupukari Crossing area while MMC has been working on fixing a 30-meter washout section at Bushmouth over the last five days.

A release from the ministry states that there is also damage to the trails some six miles from the Mabura/Rockstone junction.

“The length of the damaged area is approximately 500 metres. Currently all forms of vehicular traffic (including cars) can access this section but it needs addressing to restore the road to its original geometric design. This section will take an estimated $10M to fix,” it added.

Benn said the feasibility studies for the upgrading of the road are ongoing and the current difficulties would be factored in. As it relates to whether funds would have to be diverted to fix the trail the minister said they had already been mobilised to do work on it but that the weather may necessitate some additional allocations.
Meanwhile, persons in the Region 9 area are calling on the authorities to undertake works to the roadway during the dry weather.

Residents in the area told Stabroek News yesterday that the road had been slushy and sections impassable earlier this year, when the region experienced rainfall. They said that the weather conditions in the area would change from time to time, and according to them, the authorities should have taken advantage of the dry weather to effect repairs to the road.

One resident told Stabroek News yesterday that the region had been experiencing a dry period around March this year for several weeks, soon after the rains. He said that the chief factor involved in the flooding of savannah lands in the area was water which runs off of the mountainous sections of the region including areas located several miles from the Pakaraima range.

Another resident stated that works undertaken by Public Works officials along the Hunt Oil Stretch in the vicinity of Mertezero several days ago has seen water flooding the roadway as excavation work was undertaken along the road and the area was subsequently ‘back filled’. He said that water would normally run off of the road via a culvert and eventually into the Rupununi River.

A regular trip along the trail takes as much as 24 hours, almost double the normal timeframe, and a passenger who travelled along the road earlier this week told Stabroek News that the trip is filled with ‘luck and chance’. He said he spent between 4 to 8 waiting periods as the minibus in which he travelled was stuck along parts of the roadway.

The man noted that the impassable sections are all south of the Kurupukari Crossing at the Essequibo River, and while the ‘bad areas’ along the road are not that many, he stated that the mini-bus in which he travelled took as much as an hour to cross parts of the roadway. This was after waiting for several hours for a heavy vehicle to assist in pulling the vehicles across the roadway.

The Linden/Lethem road is 276 miles long.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who was also present at the briefing yesterday added that the work will be done and all fiscal requirements would be respected. Meanwhile, he said it appeared that the mining sector has been significantly affected by the inclement weather.

“The declared production in July is probably only about 50 to 60 percent of what I might have hoped for.”

Benn added that the pits of several mining sites they flew over on Tuesday were flooded out as well as those camps along the Potaro River.

Local Government and Regional Development Minister Kellawan Lall, who was also present, added that crops were also affected, especially in the low-lying areas, but he did not believe that the food supply to the areas was significantly affected. He added that the Ministry of Agriculture is mobilising and will be visiting the areas to render assistance with replanting when the weather gets better.

He added that there has been no reported increase in the types of ailments seen in these areas. Lall also addressed the garbage issue in the city, stating that he would be launching a citizens’ initiative today with assistance from individuals and the private sector, including one of the striking garbage collection companies owed by the beleaguered Mayor and City Council. The minister said it was an effort that needed support especially from businesses.

“I want to appeal especially to the businessmen. A lot of the garbage being dumped in various places in Georgetown is generated by business houses. I think the Private Sector Commission should come in and see to it that the business community disposes of their waste in a very responsible manner.”

According to Lall, the private sector is maturing and it has to be cognizant that waste generation is a big problem that could affect it.

“If we allow it to continue we could have a serious health problem in the city,” Lall stated.

He added that the 100-odd Drainage and Irrigation workers in the city would also be mobilised to clear the secondary drains in the communities. Addressing a question on how to deal with the recurring garbage and other issues in the city Lall said a long-term solution “is a problem.” He noted that efforts to remove the City Council in the past had failed and that it was up to the citizenry to move for an Interim Management Committee (IMC).

“It doesn’t come from the top that I want an IMC. A petition has to be brought to my attention signed by so many registered voters at the last election.”

The minister said it was not just a matter of resources, but how those resources are being used.