Amid concerns about government unresponsiveness to the flooding that has gripped the East Coast Demerara (ECD) since Thursday, Ministers of Public Infrastructure and Agriculture David Patterson and Noel Holder visited flood-hit Buxton and the Ogle Pump Station yesterday to assess the situation.
Continuous rainfall, compounded by spring tides, left many villages inundated and residents in discomfort. Residents of the affected areas along the ECD, from Industry to Hope, reported that water levels had risen after rainfall on Thursday and Friday. Residents in the southern sections of Industry, Felicity, Atlantic Ville, Ogle, Vryheids Lust, Buxton and parts of Good Hope, Lusignan and Mon Repos were affected. Many who have bottom flats expressed fear that if the rains continue water would enter their homes.
Following their assessment yesterday, the ministers announced immediate and long-term actions toward alleviating the issue, including moving a pump located at Strathspey, ECD, which is not being used, to Ogle to replace the one there which is not operational. Patterson said he hoped the deployment of the available pump would afford relief to the affected residents in the environs.
This newspaper had reported yesterday that only two of the three pumps operated by GuySuCo at Ogle were in operation. According to information gathered, pump one has been down for almost a week. Based on an explanation given by Patterson, a major part has to be replaced. Yesterday afternoon in a Facebook post, the minister stated that the pump broke down two days ago as a result of a broken crankshaft. He went on to say, “An engine of similar size and design has been located and is currently being installed at Ogle – it should be in full operation this evening, this is expected to bring relief to this area by tomorrow morning.” The engine, he added will remain in operation until the end of the season.
He called on residents within the catchment areas of Industry, Cummings Lodge, Turkeyen, Atlantic Ville and Ogle “to take whatever necessary precautions they can. We had done works on the pump earlier in the year … it is not something we [had] foreseen. It is an unfortunate situation.”
Meanwhile, Holder said that within the past few days the entire coast from Charity Essequibo, to Moleson Creek, Berbice has “been having pretty heavy rainfall. And all NDIA [National Drainage and Irrigation Authority] pumps are operable and are all deployed. But the shifting around [of the pumps to affected areas] is not very easy to do.”
On this note, he said government is engaged in a long-term solution and was working to have new pump stations on stream by the end of 2019. “There would be a major pump station in Buxton, Vigilance and Lusignan to help drain these communities and the catchment areas,” Holder said. It was revealed that some $600 million would be expended on the construction of these pump stations.
Chief Executive Officer of the NDIA Frederick Flatts, who accompanied the ministers, said that two of these structures are expected to be completed before the next rainy season.
In relation to the East Demerara Water Conservancy, Flatts said it was at full capacity. “We are continuing to discharge water into the Demerara River at Land of Canaan and the Hope Canal into the Atlantic Ocean,” he stated. He added that if there were any threats of breaches or overtopping, water would be discharged through the Kofi Canal. He also stated that more than ten excavators were deployed to the conservancy ready to work in the event of any mishap.
When Stabroek News visited the eight-door sluice at Hope yesterday, water was steadily gushing through seven open doors into the Atlantic and attendants were on duty monitoring the station.
Meanwhile, at Buxton yesterday several residents said they had suffered loss of livestock.
Farmer Tony Barth told this publication that he lost several ducks after their coop began to take in water. He also pointed out that his farm in the backlands of the community was under water and he did not expect that any of his crops would be saved. Judging from past experiences, he said his section of Buxton would be flooded for approximately one week since water from the backlands drains through the residential area and into the Atlantic Ocean. “All the water from the back dam comes through here so when the farmers are drained then we would get some relief,” he said, adding, “We only get a ground sluice. We ain’t get no throw-over [pump] so as long as the tide is high out there and rain falling, this would be a regular day for us.”
Further, it was explained that no major drainage and irrigation work was undertaken in the community by the Neigbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to facilitate efficient drainage. “Sometimes all they do is weed the grass or spray the grass on the side and leave it there and it clogs up the drains,” a resident pointed out.
Isaac Kassim of Felicity said the water was half an inch from entering his house. As a precaution, he had elevated his furniture and appliances to prevent damage. Kassim said that yesterday the water was at its highest.
Asked if his NDC undertook any work in preparation for the rainy season he responded in the negative, noting that major drains are clogged up by vegetation.
Dhanpaul Seeram of Industry had the same refrain, stating that the NDC did not do any work in the community. “Here if we don’t clean our drains nobody comes and clean it so much less the main canals. The main canals are filled with bushes,” he lamented.
Seeram explained that while he did not suffer any losses, he, like many of his neighbours, had to elevate his furniture and appliances.
He said the water level in his community began to rise around 3 am yesterday.
Other residents who spoke briefly with this newspaper said there was not much they could do, but they were hoping not to have a recurrence of the 2005 great flood. Some described the situation as the worst it has been since then.
