After enduring over three days of heavy rainfall, residents of some areas in Region Three want to know why they were not given any warning which could have helped them to avertsome of the losses they have suffered.
At Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, residents blasted the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) for not having the koker opened on time, thus resulting in the water backing up and flooding their yards and damaging their plants. The water has risen to an estimated six inches in some parts and residents are concerned about the serious health risk the water poses because many of them have pit latrines that are submerged. Many fear contaminated water has already seeped into some of their bottom flats.
“Every time we rain fall lil bit, we get flood……the road flood out and we got to tek taxi or walk through the water fuh go wuk,” Shanta Persaud told Stabroek News. During a visit by this newspaper to the area it was observed that the entire Nelson Street is inundated, leaving residents with the options of paddling through or hiring a taxi that is willing to make the journey.
Persaud added that she is concerned about the safety of her two children, who both attend school and have to walk through the flooded street to get there.
“Me two daughter got to go to school but me keep them home because me nah want them walk through the water and get ringworm and ground itch,” she said.
At Best Village, West Coast Demerara, residents are saying that they have been inundated for over two days and the water has been slowly receding. They were, however, concerned about their safety because a burial ground in the area has been partially submerged. They also said that had they been advised about the impending heavy rainfall, they would have taken the necessary precautions.
Although there was very little water visible when Stabroek News visited, residents complained that the regional officials had been shirking their responsibilities, since the area is flooded “as soon as god smile.”
At Stanleytown some houses have been submerged while at Canal No. 2 residents, especially farmers, were cursing their never ending woes. The farmers were flooded late December last year leading up to the beginning of the new year and incurred millions in losses in cash crops. They had previously blamed the flooding on the regional officials for their failure to clear the main canal, however, head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Lionel Wordsworth had told this newspaper that the reason the farms were flooded is because there were three small cuts on the Sea Line. But now that the canals and the Sea Line have been cleared and fixed, respectively, the residents are still under water and it is much more than they had last year.
Farmer Lallbachan John said that this time around the water is higher, measuring approximately one foot. He added that if the koker is cleaned on a regular basis, the possibility of flooding can be reduced. Some residents are of the view that if Belle West Housing Scheme gets its own drainage system that leads straight into the river at Belle View, the flooding can be avoided.
One farmer said, “Before Belle West turn housing scheme them had all that water draining in the big trench by Belle View and since them turn this place into scheme awe at the back deh a get flood as soon as rain fall.”
