Vigorous and continuous efforts by the contractor Pooran Manman to fix the breach on a main dam at Charity, Essequibo Coast has resulted in the receding of over eighteen inches of floodwater which had lodged on the land on Monday night.
When this newspaper visited the area at around 4 pm yesterday, the water on the land had receded, but was still high in the nearby trenches. The construction team was seen fetching mud and dumping it on the dam to repair the breach.
Regional Engineer Renick Marslow and his team made good on his promise and a diversion was created in the dam to allow the floodwaters to drain off from the land.
Betty Benn, a resident of the area said that the construction team worked throughout Monday night in an attempt to fix the breach.
“This morning (Tuesday) the water level was again rising to an alarming level but has since receded and we are thankful for that. Residents of this area would like to note that we are grateful for the construction of the concrete koker, but we were not pleased in the way the construction was being done. Because of this, we were flooded,” she said.
Residents of Charity Backstreet are now in the process of cleaning up the mess which was left by the flood. Losses suffered include damage to electrical appliances, furniture and produce from kitchen gardens.
In an invited comment, Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt said that he was informed about the flooding situation in Charity and noted that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) views it with concern.
“The RDC is aware that there were two floods in Charity over a short period of time and it appears to be that the first one had to do with the contractor’s fault but the initial feedback that I got about the flood on Monday, was that it was not the fault of the contractor but because of high tides.”
When asked about the comments made by the Chairperson of the Charity/Urasara Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Beatrice Mittelholzer, about her having a difficulty in raising issues that affect the residents of Charity at the Regional Democratic Council, Ramdatt had this to say.
“I am not aware about the chairperson having a difficulty in voicing her concerns at the level of the RDC. Her competence and accessibility is however an area of concern. These issues aren’t about trying to take sides but instead it’s about being practical.
“The chairperson is an elected official and therefore needs to pursue and take actions when it comes to dealing with issues in her community. She needs to make stronger representation about her Urasara,” the RDC Chairman said.
He added that the RDC regrets that residents suffered losses but also believes had proper monitoring and evaluation been done by the contractor, the floods may have been avoided.
“It is regrettable that these residents went through these ordeals, so I would advise that a record of losses be sent to the Local Government Office in the Region.”
