After being out of use for more than two years due to vandalism, the Trafalgar Pump Station is expected to be working again before the next rainy season.
Because of the non-functioning pumps and a clogged outfall channel, the West Coast Berbice area has endured heavy flooding whenever there is heavy rainfall.
General Manager of the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary-Agriculture Development Authority (MMA-ADA) had told Stabroek News that the pumps had not been working for two years as a result of vandalism.
Originally, there had been four large pumps at the station but two were removed several years ago, while the remaining two were incapacitated by the vandalism.
“The two pumps that are currently there, it’s not that the pumps themselves were vandalised but the cables leading to the pumps were vandalised—a big fat cable—and they were stolen and I learned that they are very lucrative,” Charles had said.
However, that was not the first time that the pumps were incapacitated by vandals.
Although the pumps had been refurbished and rehabilitated at a cost of millions of dollars in 2007, no security guard was placed at the location.
In February of 2008, residents of Number 29 Village opined that had the two pumps at Trafalgar been in operation while the sluice was closed, they would not have suffered such serious losses due to flooding.
There was severe flooding also in February of 2011 as a result of the pumps being vandalised but they were eventually fixed.
Almost three years ago, residents had also complained that the rehabilitated pumps were not working even though they was heavy flooding.
Charles had stated that the MMA-ADA was not in charge of the pumps and was only looking over them.
However, head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Frederick Flatts told Stabroek News yesterday that the pumps are not listed as property of the NDIA; they belong to the MMA-ADA. “In our audit reports, the pumps are listed under the MMA,” he said. However, he added that while the pumps are property of the MMA-ADA, the NDIA will be seeking to ensure they are in operation “before the November rains.” He pointed out that the procurement procedures are currently underway and while repairs are going to cost a lot of money, they would greatly assist the area with its drainage issues.
Giving an update about the current situation at West Coast Berbice, Flatts pointed out that the area is in a drastically better position since the NDIA deployed six mobile pumps, one tractor-powered pump and a six-inch pump. “Even with rainfall, with that combination, hopefully, we can control it [the water level from rising],” he said.
In addition to the pumps, he said they have been relentlessly trying to get the canals in the area cleaned to improve the drainage. “We have excavators in the areas cleaning the channels and some of the pumps and we continue to use the pontoon with the two excavators to clean the outfall and we are getting small flows but that’s all for now,” Flatts said.
