Dear Editor,
I refer to a report in the Stabroek News of June 1 captioned’ Record flooding at Bartica after heavy rainfall –chairman believes drainage system inadequate.’ The report stated that following a night of intense rainfall, the residents in some sections of Bartica woke up to record flooding in their yards and some businesses had already pegged their losses in the millions. RDC Chairman Gordon Bradford was reported as saying that he would soon be dispatching a letter to Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud requesting the visit of an engineering team to examine the drainage and irrigation system, since he believed it was no longer adequate for Bartica. He referred to the reckless disposal of garbage as contributing to the water remaining on the land.
I am extremely disappointed with the slow response of Mr Bradford, since as a resident of Bartica and Chairman of the region he should be well aware of the poor drainage system as well as the disposal of garbage in Region 7. The flooding usually occurs in the months of May and June and whenever else there is heavy rainfall.
Is this the first time that Mr Bradford has noticed that the drainage system is inadequate? Is this the first time he has experienced flooding in this part of the region? Why did he not send a letter to the Ministry of Local Government with his recommendations before this? In his submission of estimates for the 2013 National Budget did he make recommendations in relation to correcting the inadequacies of the drainage system in the region?
Mr Bradford was also reported as calling on Bartica residents to revert to the past when everyone cleaned the drain in front of his/her yard, and said that the finances and the manpower were just not available for the region to do it alone. Editor, I don’t support Mr Bradford’s call, since the residents are not living in the past; they have daily chores to do, including cleaning and maintaining the drains in their own yards, etc.
Mr Bradford’s statement that the finances and the manpower are just not available for the region to maintain the drains alone is a bald one. We the residents of Bartica pay a lot of money in revenue to this region which could surely finance the maintenance of a proper drainage system. It is time Mr Bradford stopped talking and started acting.
Yours faithfully,
Micah Williams
