Dear Editor,
In the few years since my return, this was the highest I have seen the floodwaters. My bridge was partially submerged, with about an inch of limited water coverage. The good news is that I have never experienced the waters receding so quickly. Similarly, a tour of Georgetown early Friday indicated that the floodwaters were largely gone in many places.
Still, there were too many places ‒ parts of Queenstown, Alberttown, King Street, and South Road, to name a few ‒ that were virtual lakes. For the rapid results, congratulations are extended to the responsible minister, pump operators, koker attendants, and the many others who rose up. Unfortunately, the rest of this story is mainly hard, tough going.
It is my layman’s opinion that this chronic flooding problem can be fixed, or at least substantially reduced. However, it would require a three-step approach, one of which is already a work in progress.
First, clearing, cleaning, de-silting, and anti-littering are all constructive things; these, however, represent a short-term resolution. They are plasters good for a 6-12 month time horizon before everyone loses patience. It is encouraging for today, but there is more that must follow and follow quickly.
Second, the responsible minister along with City Hall (and maybe the Central Housing and Planning Authority) need to develop a programme, and then assign a small team of hard-nosed, hard-driving officials to oversee a reversal of the land piracy (sometimes sanctioned, sometimes not) that has made a mockery of road access, pedestrian space, drainage and the whole works. Stated differently, reversal means that individuals and businesses must teardown those abutments and encroachments that are nothing less than land grabs in the best Maduro aspiration. Those who have converted eminent domain into private charters must break down and take their business indoors (or underground). And they must then rebuild in very limited time what was there before, for what is present now has contributed enormously to the flooding problems. And everybody knows this.
Already, I hear the howls of protest from every bearing on the compass, and especially from impacted individuals, commercial interests, and political patrons. Sure, I hear them; but I hear more loudly the anguish and disgust of those many ordinary citizens de-silting kitchen and living room and bedroom yet again. To be frank, this would entail massive political will. Equally candidly, let it be said that if this reversal does not occur, and the status quo continues, then we are in the Band Aid business, and there is where we will remain until the next serious rainfall, and through the rest of all of those that follow.
Third, those saddled with the responsibility of addressing the issue to an acceptable conclusion must look domestically, and ask if we have the level and range of expertise to undertake the planning, engineering, and delivering of a viable product. That is, one which results in significant (70-80%) reduction in the frequency of severe flooding episodes in the city and its extended environs. I respectfully submit that the comprehensive package of cutting-edge skills, expertise, and vision and more is not present in totality locally. I think that such will be found with the Dutch who live with the North Sea overhead, and who have learned over the centuries how to overcome this national and natural handicap. The Dutch should be engaged to spearhead such a project with veteran local experts acting as consultants.
I believe that this three-pronged approach would work, and work well. If the current government succeeds in delivering a relatively flood-free environment within three years I, then, assert that it would be in the unenviable situation of being able to do no wrong.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
