Residents in some sections of the New Diamond and Grove Housing Schemes, East Bank Demerara are blaming poor maintenance of the drainage network for flooding in their areas yesterday.
Residents at the western end of 19th Street, Diamond and neighbouring Grove Village say that the Neighbourhood Democratic Council needs to clear clogged drains.
Resident of 19th Street Lukhwatie Sarwan said “Every time de rain fall hard hard is same problem we a get. I am scared about it right now I already pack me thing them so they won’t get destroy if the rain continue cause I will get flooded. I went out to de NDC last year and complain. Dem send people but they only deh tap tap de top of the bush. That can’t help is de alleyway want cleaning and digging out or every time it rain same place we deh again.” The woman noted that the lots to the eastern end were lower than other parts of the area hence were always the ones affected by rain. She stated that from her meagre earnings she could not afford to build up her yard, which she informed, would cost about 1M in earth and sand.
Another resident who asked to remain anonymous said that she, her husband and two children live on 19th Street. She said that they normally garden as a means of supplementing their income however yesterday’s rain had all their crops immersed in water and she said the loss will be felt financially. However unlike her neighbour she indicated that it was the first time her yard was flooded. “The place flood up. This is the first time we flood like this because the place clogs up at the back and no one is cleaning it,” she said as she pointed to the bushy area aback of her home.
Reshma Harrinarinesingh of the New Grove Housing Scheme told this newspaper that she was renting the house she was living in and was not told prior to renting of the flooding by her landlord. The woman said that ironically she, her husband and five children moved to the area from Leopold Street to avoid flooding. She attributed her flooding to the sunken yard and not drainage since she said water from other residences drain into her yard because it was lower than all others.
Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy last evening informed Stabroek News that engineers and officials from the Grove/ Dia-mond neighbourhood democratic council had been monitoring the effects of the rainfall on residents. When told of the situation in areas visited by this newspaper he promised to have the Head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority look into the matter.
Georgetown
Meanwhile, several parts of Georgetown were under water after yesterday’s rain. In South Ruimveldt, persons say they are inconvenienced by the approximately 10 inches of water.
“When rain fall for just half an hour we does flood out, much less when it fall whole day like today,” one man said. Residents in the neighbourhood indicated that if the heavy rainfall continues their homes would definitely be flooded.
In Kaikan Street, North Ruimveldt, one man expressed his frustration with the endless flooding experienced in the community, stating that the street is popularly known at “Water Street or Waterloo Street”.
Anticipating a few days of similar weather, some parents told this newspaper that they are skeptical about sending their children to school this week as they fear they may contract common water-borne diseases.
With some parts of the area being weed infested, residents are concerned about their safety now that the water has risen tremendously as they fear snakes and other dangerous creatures.
Residents are calling on the relevant authorities to deploy pumps and excavators to drain the affected areas.
They also want the Health Ministry to have the area sanitized. (Marcelle Thomas and Frances Abraham)
