Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland yesterday issued a call for assistance for residents of the town who have been severely affected by flooding, which he said is the worst that has been experienced in decades.
“…This is something I’ve never seen in my life living in Linden and we need all the assistance and help we could at this time,” Holland told Stabroek News yesterday.
“I visited the alleys this morning and the areas between Andrew Hill and Koker Street. It is indeed a serious situation faced by the residents on the Wismar Shore and also there is some flooding as well in the Mackenzie area, I am to visit that area this afternoon around Rainbow City side… There are several residents, some are displaced, some cannot remain in their homes.
One resident had the water almost coming through her window… that’s the height the water was at her home. There are several residents, one had to be taken to the hospital this morning, an elderly person. We need help. They need food, they need items, ration, you know, we need stuff to give out, hampers, right now to several residents to help them who can’t cook. Some residents would have come together to say they will do the cooking to distribute to who can’t do the cooking and who can’t help themselves at the moment,” the mayor added.
Holland said the flooding experienced recently is the worst the region has seen in years and highlighted that he recalled severing flood in 1988 but it did not reach the current magnitude.
The absence of the koker door at the Koker Street entrance in Wismar, Linden, resulted in flooding of the Wismar shore.
Holland related yesterday that after consultations with an engineer, it was found that repairing the door would cost “an easy” four or five million dollars.
The Mayor requested the support of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the Civil Defence Commission to get works going, while noting that there are contractors available there who are ready to work.
“We are going to be moving aggressively on this, all we want is some assistance,” he said.
Residents told Stabroek News on Saturday that the koker has been without a door for over a year and they called on the regional 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.
