Silvie’s Industrial Solutions continues to suffer from the effects of flooding at their High and Hadfield streets location.
After its most recent inundation on Tuesday, Health and Safety Manager, Henry Maneiro, told Stabroek News that the business has since put measures in place to avoid major damage.
Maneiro said, they are affected by flooding even if it rains for five or ten minutes, and this has been an issue for at least the four years he has been at the establishment. He explained that in addition to placing sand bags outside, they have installed a pump system to ensure that the water does not get inside of the store.
According to the Manager, in previous floods, water managed to get inside which resulted in losses for the business. Since then, they have taken the initiative to place vulnerable stock, such as motors, on a higher surface instead of flat on the ground.
However, the flooding of the company’s Repair Centre currently remains an issue. Maneiro disclosed that when the affected area is flooded, it prevents employees from carrying out their tasks.
The most recent flooding saw a water level of approximately one foot.
This newspaper was told that several letters were written to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), who did clean the alley behind the store, but Maneiro opined that more can be done, since the situation has not changed.
When contacted, M&CC Chief Engineer, Colvern Venture said the council is aware of the situation and has since looked into it. He explained that the flooding arises due to individuals improperly disposing of their garbage.
Venture added that despite the efforts of the council, persons continue to practice improper disposal of garbage, which gets into the drain, blocking the culvert. He also said, major drainage work was done in 2017 and 2018, from Hadfield Street to Princes Street.
Meanwhile, Silvie’s has taken on the task of sanitizing the store, washing down the pavement, and asking customers to follow the required guidelines set out to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
