As floodwater continues to besiege residents and farmers in the Pomeroon, chairperson of the Charity/Urasara Neigbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Beatrice Mittelholzer, is continuing to plead with the region and other authorities to assist the “flood-prone” area.
“The sun is out but the rain is setting again to fall and there is still water in the squatting areas and other places,” Mittelholzer told Stabroek News yesterday, pointing out that other zones such as Dredge Creek, Caiburi Creek and most of the Pomeroon and Charity are still under water.
“These people have been suffering there for years,” she added, stating that since she assumed thepost as chairperson at the last Local Government Elections on March 18, she has been greeted with a host of problems that have been existing for years.
“No one comes to check and those two areas [Dredge and Caiburi Creeks] are closely connected and they are always under water. Farmers have lands in Dredge Creek but cannot work on them because of the constant water,” she said, stating that since the area has been flood prone for a very long time something should’ve been done but the authorities continue to “neglect” Charity “as if it doesn’t exist.”
She said a quick solution would be the cleaning and desilting of the main canal, which has been neglected for years.
“If we could get the main canal cleaned from Somerset coming down to Charity with the other little canals then we will see a big decrease in the accumulation of water,” she said, pointing out that even though she has only been at the helm of the NDC for several months, she has made several requests to the region for them to assist with the cleaning of the canals but has not received any positive response since.
Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt had confirmed to Stabroek News on several occasions that the region is aware of the problems facing the areas and that the request for help had been brought up at two of their meetings but the decision was up to the Regional Executive Officer (REO).
He said he was not sure why the assistance was not given as yet. Attempts by Stabroek News to contact the REO were futile.
Mittelholzer, who represents the PPP/C, said she is requesting the presence of the Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and the other authorities to visit the area and make their assessments.
“People are not comfortable. The economy is not comfortable as there are not much jobs and people try to plant and mind animals and they cannot have comfort and have their own sustenance to keep going because you always gotto keep looking out for a little flood and stuff like that,” she added.
