The absence of a koker door, at the Koker Street entrance in Wismar, Linden, has resulted in flooding. The water recedes when the tide is low but would rise and cause flooding when there is high tide.
Residents told Sunday Stabroek yesterday that the koker has been without a door for over a year and they called on the region administration to explain why that situation was not rectified.
This newspaper was told that the residents woke up to flooded surroundings on Friday morning.
Byron Kendall, the District Community Development officer attached to the NDIA said that First, Second and Third Alleys are experiencing flooding owing to the absence of a koker door.
“As the tide rises, it’s causing heavy flooding. Eight to ten inches in some homes and about six inches in others,” he said.
Kendall informed that on Friday a NDIA officer travelled to Linden from the city and after assessing the situation said that he will have to take the recommendation of installing a door to his boss.
It is unclear how long it will take for the door to be installed and concerned residents said yesterday that they are very worried since more rain is expected in the coming days and weeks. The heavy rain has caused rivers and creeks in the mining town to rise and this coupled with high tide is causing the flooding.
Kendall said that a street in Silvertown is flooded but he blamed this on a section being low. He said high tide was scheduled for 6 pm yesterday and as such flooding was expected to occur.
Yesterday morning he along with Regional Chairman Renis Morian and a Region Ten councillor visited the affected areas. According to Kendall, residents are also asking for cleaning agents to be provided.
Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland told Sunday Stabroek last evening in an invited comment that the region needs urgent help on the Wismar shore. He said he felt sad when persons started to send texts, messages and pictures via WhatsApp on Friday morning showing the level of flooding in their areas. He said that since then the Town Council, the NDIA and Regional Democratic Council have been on the ground.
Holland urged residents to take all the necessary precautionary measures including avoiding contact with the floodwater and securing their belongings.
