The homes of many persons remained inundated with stagnant floodwater yesterday along the East Coast of Demerara, especially at Buxton, where livestock farmers appealed for relief to save their animals and long-term solutions to their increasingly familiar plight.
Most of the persons residing in the villages south of the Railway Embankment were still grappling with waterlogged yards and homes as water, from which a stench has started to emanate, continued to slowly recede from the land.
The National Emergency Opera-tions Centre (NEOC) yesterday said a drainage assessment team which was dispatched to Buxton and surrounding villages yesterday afternoon reported that waters are receding but at a slow rate.
Fears of contamination were also stoked by the dirty water and numerous submerged pipelines and pit latrines. Many of the canals and drains were filled to capacity in some areas as there was still an overflow from the drains. Livestock and cash crop farmers were also left to deal with dead animals and rotting plants as there was nothing they could do to prevent the loss.
But although many villages have seen a slow decline in the water since the downpour that started the flooding last Wednesday, Buxton remains inundated and the canal along the Sideline Dam was yesterday overflowing, covering the road completely and spreading across into yards and homes.
A sluice and pump have been in operation and residents said that arrangements were being made to deploy another pump to assist in the drainage. The pump is expected to be in operation by today.
Many of the cattle farmers called for assistance to feed their animals since the pastures and open fields were all underwater. In some places, the water was up to one foot in height and beyond.
Losses
Eighteen piglets and a pig belonging to Mona Moses, of 81 Middle Street, Buxton, died as a result of the floodwaters. Her poultry farm, which is situated directly behind her house, had up to three feet of water yesterday.
Twenty ducks and two sheep belonging to Nigel McLennan also died, while other villagers also related similar stories.
Since there were no pastures for the animals to graze, residents have released their cattle onto the roadways to find grass for survival.
A NEOC statement issued last evening said the Guyana Livestock Development Authority has indicated that field staff are conducting assessments in the affected communities and whilst there is currently a low level threat to livestock, some are being moved to higher ground.
Also bearing the brunt of the flooding were large scale farmers, whose crops perished in the backlands. Cane farmers lamented the loss of acres of young cane and cash crops.
“I am so accustomed to loss that it don’t really make sense to talk about the amount of losses I get because is acres went down for me,” said Linden Talbot, a farmer who lost three acres of young cane, amongst other cash crops.
Many other farmers also complained of losses owing to the floods.
Some residents believed that there was a breach in a conservancy dam, which has been releasing an ocean of water into the village.
Some believed that the release from the conservancy was the result of the heavy floods, and that the sluice serving the area was too inadequate to accommodate the volume of water. However, some of the farmers contended that the flood was as a result of the excessive rain and the inadequate drainage and irrigation system.
Talbot said that he believed that natural drainage was the solution to the problem as the single door sluice installed was releasing water pumped into a basin rather than a free flow from the drainage system. The filled basin will be empty within three hours of release from the sluice, Talbot said.
The farmer further opined that the drainage in the village needs a complete review as the current system is not adequate.
Four small culverts in the village were left unattended and were subsequently abandoned, which has compounded the situation, Talbot opined.
Cleveland Thomas, who had just came from the backdam when Stabroek News visited, said that the drains in the backlands were far deeper that the ones releasing the water through the sluice.
“The backdam is like a bowl and the township is like a plate… you got to sink the township to drain the water,” Thomas pointed out, as he further opined that it is impossible to dredge the drains to accommodate the water from the back as further opening of the drains will result in sinking of the roadways.
Talbot said the new drainage system in the backdam directs fifteen to twenty drains to one outlet, while the previous drainage system, which was more effective, had each drain to its own outlet.
The canals leading to the conservancy would be maintained but the others have been neglected, resulting in a significant buildup of weeds which block the release of water.
The canals beyond the conservancy are separated by a dam called the CNC dam, which is used by GuySuCo, Thomas said. The farmers said that the water beyond the CNC dam was at a higher level.
Other farmers who spoke with Stabroek News included Ronald Roberts, Shawn Sancho, Rudolph Yaw, who all reported losses.
Monitoring
The consistent heavy showers which started Wednesday afternoon affected most areas in Georgetown, the East Coast, the East Bank and West Coast Demerara.
In Albouystown, which was severely affected, a large number of residents remained swamped. However, the door for the Sussex Street Sluice, which serves the area, was opened yesterday. Some dredging was done to remove debris and planks, which were blocking some sections near the sluice. A pump also remained in operation there.
Meanwhile, according to the NEOC, it is continuing to work around the clock to monitor and assess both the affected and vulnerable communities along with the conservancies. Patrols comprising members of the police force and army have been dispatched in the conservancy to continuously monitor the situation.
Up to yesterday afternoon it reported that there had been distribution of cleaning and sanitation items to the St. Vincent De Paul Homestead and the Chase’s Indigent Home for Senior Citizens
It also reported the deployment of three 400-gallon water tanks with potable water to Albouystown, where one was placed at the Masjid, whilst two others were placed at the Selman Fraser Nursery School, which is currently being used as a shelter.
In addition, the NEOC said Environmental Health Officers from the Ministry of Public Health were deployed to conduct assessments at established shelters and affected communities in all the regions, while fliers with health and safety tips were distributed to households.
Water filters that can be distributed to households for water purification were on standby for distribution, it added.
According to the NEOC, a Disaster Relief Emergency Fund appeal was launched by Guyana Red Cross Society, which will allow access to funding aid needed for continued assistance to those affected.
The NEOC also said the National Weather Watch Centre continues to monitor weather conditions and has reported that mostly cloudy skies with light to moderate showers being expected along the coastal regions. Thundershowers are also likely over regions Five and Six, with rainfall being expected to be between 15mm and 40mm, it added.
