Residents of Charity on the Essequibo Coast are fearful that the entire village will be severely flooded after the river defence dam was breached yesterday.
According to reports, at around 3 pm, as a result of the spring tide, the water from the Pomeroon River started to run over the dam.
In June this year, residents had expressed concern that sections of the river dam had dropped two feet and the dam was being quickly washed away into the Pomeroon River.
Speaking with Stabroek News, one resident said that the breach of the dam is a threat to the entire community.
“Since in the month of May this section of the dam dropped,” the resident said. “Reports were made to the Regional Chairman and he came and he said that he made contact with the higher authorities and they will have to look into the matter. I made several calls to the Ministry of Public Works office and they said if y’all got to use boat when the place flood, y’all will have to use it.”
The woman said she was not pleased with the reply because the person whom she spoke with clearly thought it was a joke.
“It was funny for them, but this is something serious,” she said. “Because of the spring tides the water will come in and the whole place will be flooded. The water will be higher by tomorrow morning and in the afternoon. About three months ago the region put mud bags at the edge of the river but that was all. Nothing else was done. We as residents of this area need urgent attention. It’s spring tide and the rainfall will make the situation worse.”
The resident said she even tried to call the Office of the President but was not successful.
Regional Chairman Parmanand Persaud visited the area yesterday, along with other regional officials. Cornel Damon, a member of the Sea and River Defence Board and Member of Parliament who was present at the site, said a report was made to the Sea and River Defence Board.
“I was in a meeting earlier today [yesterday] and I raised this issue so the board will see what is the best action they can take,” Damon said. “Two trucks loads of earth will be brought here as soon as possible so it will help to stop the flow of water.”
However, several residents in the area, upon hearing that the water was flowing over the dam immediately gathered bags and filled them with sand which they placed at the edge of the dam where the water was flowing heavily.
The Regional Chairman commended the residents for their quick actions and he noted the matter was already reported to the Public Works Ministry and immediate measures will be put in place.
When Stabroek News visited the area, water was seen running over the dam and into a nearby trench.
Another resident, in noting his concerns to the regional chairman said that as a result of the dam being washed away, a massive flood will occur if something is not done as soon as possible. “The land is shifting away and going toward the river because of the weight of the structure that they build out there.
It had a big silk cotton tree out there that use to keep the soil together but since they cut down that tree to build the wharf or whatever they were building, this dam start wash away,” the resident said.
This publication was told that a team from the Sea and River Defence unit visited the area two months earlier and assessed the situation. The contractors of the concrete structure at the River Dam were instructed by the team to cease all construction works, which they did.
Charity residents are hoping that urgent action will be taken to counteract the problem before there is a severe flood.
