Excavation works ordered to ease flooding

By Staff Editor On In Guyana News |
The meeting at the Ministry of Public Works today (Ministry of Public Works photo)
The meeting at the Ministry of Public Works today (Ministry of Public Works photo)

The Government has put into effect short term solutions to alleviate flooding in sections of Georgetown and lower East Coast Demerara (ECD), the Ministry of Public Works said today.

Also present at the meeting were: Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, George Jervis; Chief Executive Officer of NDIA, Lionel Wordsworth; Acting Chief Engineer –MPI, Ron Eastman; Coordinator of WSG -MPI, Geoffrey Vaughn; Head of the FAU – MPI, Lawrence Mentis; Director of Solid Waste- M&CC, Walter Narine, Acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry-Munroe and Walter Willis, Technical Advisor to Hon. Patterson, among others.
Also present at the meeting were: Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, George Jervis; Chief Executive Officer of NDIA, Lionel Wordsworth; Acting Chief Engineer –MPI, Ron Eastman; Coordinator of WSG -MPI, Geoffrey Vaughn; Head of the FAU – MPI, Lawrence Mentis; Director of Solid Waste- M&CC, Walter Narine, Acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry-Munroe and Walter Willis, Technical Advisor to Hon. Patterson, among others.

Earlier today, a release from the Ministry said that Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder met with key stakeholders from the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s – Work Services Group (WSG) and Force Account Unit (FAU), to discuss options in an effort to remedy the situation.

With immediate effect the release said that the FAU will undertake excavation works to clear blockages at Riverview, East Bank Demerara. In addition, the department will provide assistance to the M&CC to repair the northern gate of the La Penitence koker.

During the meeting, the Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, disclosed that only two of their six pumps- which are used to drain water off of the land when the sluice gates are closed- were functional. The release said that it was agreed that the FAU will repair the Sussex Street pump, which is expected to be operational by this evening.

Further, the NDIA will conduct assessments on the remaining three pumps, with a view to having them repaired and functional within the next 24-36 hours.

Patterson and Holder are expected to meet again tomorrow to review the progress made thus far.