– but waters rise in Mahaicony Creek
Flooding is receding in West Coast Berbice and Moraikobai, but the Mahaicony Creek is experiencing an increase in the water level.
Stabroek News had reported yesterday and over the weekend that all over Region Five was experiencing flooding, owing to excess water flowing down the Mahaicony River. Areas such as Trafalgar, Lovely Lass, Number 29, 30 and 31 villages were inundated, mostly because the main koker and channel in Trafalgar were blocked and the water from the excess rainfall flowing down the river was unable to flow through to the sea.
The communities had remained under water for weeks. In some instances, there was over two feet of water in villages. Acres of land were covered with water as far as the eyes could see. Lone houses stood isolated, surrounded by water and it was difficult to tell trench from land. Makeshift bridges were deeply submerged in the murky water and were hard to spot.
Region Five Chairman Vickchand Ramphal had told Stabroek News that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in collaboration with the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMA-ADA) had sent several excavators and pumps around the region to aid with drainage.
When Stabroek News visited the communities at Trafalgar, Lovely Lass, Number 29, 30 and 31 yesterday, the water had receded from most of the yards leaving behind a muddy residue with pungent odour. Several pumps were seen working trying to get rid of the little water that was still left.
Despite the mess and the odour, residents were elated that the water had finally gone down. “It smelling bad and all of that but we just glad that the water level finally went down and now is just up to people to get their place clean up and so,” Lance Facet told Stabroek News. He said he appreciated the effort from the NDIA and MMA-ADA, even though it was late, and he hoped they had learned from their mistakes and would make sure the original pumps are working and the channel is cleaned so the water can flow. “They tek a while to help with the situation but now it [the water] gone down and we just gotto hope that the rain ain’t fall nuff and flood it back,” he added.
However, while the West Coast Berbice areas were seeing progress, villages in the Mahaicony Creek areas were experiencing an increase in water levels.
“Well, all we could do now is watch the water cause it nah go nowhere. All I could do is stay upstairs and watch the water, brother,” Shanny (only name given) told Stabroek News yesterday. Another resident explained that the water had increased several inches in his yard and that the pump at Pine Ground was still not working because of the lack of fuel.
When Stabroek News had visited on Sunday the pump was not working and residents had explained that it was the lack of fuel that had it out of operation.
“They [pump operators] always telling you about they ain’t got oil to work the pump and always stopping it but when they pump for one day and the rain fall for one hour the water ah go back up high so it nah mek sense,” Susankar Seedyal, a farmer from Pine Ground had said, stating that whenever they tried to contact the NDIA and MMA-ADA they would usually be given a royal runaround. “You gotto make about 2,000 phone calls and then you gon get answer from them. They gonna tell you today they gonna pump the water and then you will have to wait about three days. When you call this one he seh the other one tek over. When you call [Head of MMA-ADA Aubrey] Charles he seh call another man and when you call he you getting the same thing over and over. Is best we use the money to call these man to buy diesel,” the frustrated farmer had pointed out.
Charles confirmed yesterday that they had been having trouble getting fuel to the pump, but that around midafternoon yesterday when he checked the pump was working. “Right now it’s working and we had a fuel issue yesterday but fuel is there right now. You see, in the dry weather when we buy fuel from GuyOil they would deliver it to Mora Point and we would have to relay it from there but now in the wet weather you have to transport it from the road and it is difficult sometimes,” Charles said,.
He explained that the water level staying the same and increasing in some areas in Mahaicony was because of the high level of water in the river, but if the pump keeps working then a decrease in water level should be noticed today. “The water in the river is high and we don’t have any control over the water going into the river but what we do have control over is the water in the farming areas and once the pump is pumping then we can expect to see the water recede,” Charles said.
At Moraikobai, where the flooding had been extremely severe, there was a drop in the water level. In addition, residents in the community received food hampers and were able to partake in a medical outreach.
According to a press release by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), reports of the flood prompted the setting up and development of a multi-agency team to conduct an assessment of the situation last week. The team comprised Ramphal, Regional Education Officer Owen Pollard, Regional Health Officer (Ag) Steven Cheefoon, Regional Councillor Carol Joseph, NDIA Head Frederick Flatts and CDC Preparedness and Response Manager Sean Welcome.
After the first visit on June 7, the team, along with others, returned four days later and food hampers consisting of rice, flour, sugar, cornmeal, Quaker oats, canned sardines and cooking oil, were given to 160 households. The release pointed out that each household was issued with 2 gallons of rice, 4 kgs of flour, 2 kgs of sugar, 3 tins of sardine, a bottle of cooking oil, packs of cornmeal and a pack of Quaker oats donated by MARDS.
The medical outreach team provided medical examination and care for 106 residents, 55 adults and 51 children.
Ramphal confirmed to Stabroek News that when he talked to the Toshao of Moraikobai yesterday he was told that the water had receded significantly. “In situations like these we rely heavily on the government to provide the necessary relief and we are monitoring the situation,” he said.
