The heavy seasonal rainfall coupled with drainage and overtopping issues has caused the Kilcoy/Chesney New Housing Scheme, Corentyne, Berbice, to remain flooded over the past week leaving residents in a state of frustration.
As of yesterday residents were reporting losses mostly in livestock, as one man said that he has not been able to locate any of his ducks since the flood. According to Dexroy Joseph, 31, he had about 25 chickens and 10 ducks, “but I only seeing about six fowl now.”
The man informed that he has been residing in the village for over three and half years now and this was the first time he had seen such flooding. “If I go in my back yard the water deh till about my chest.”
He relayed that several of his neighbours have also suffered loss of livestock, “I get a friend couple houses [away] and he lose everything. When I go, them things dead and still in the water.”
Jason Hemnarain, 31, a teacher from the Cropper Primary School who also resides in the village, confirmed that several residents have suffered losses in livestock and gardens.
He said there have also been some reports of household damage since most houses in the scheme are flat houses, “so the water in their houses.”
Another resident, Yogistra Anderson, 39, who was one of the first three persons to move into the housing scheme five and a half years ago, also observed that this was the first time the area was flooded this way. “First time the water raise so high and remain.”
According to residents, the regional administration had used a machine to crown off the dam but that it had found some locations where water broke through and was still entering their village. They had to resort to using sandbags to block the incoming water.
It was explained that while the water is being pumped from the area it is draining slowly since the main trench which leads the water into the Corentyne River is higher than the water in the scheme. “It pumping but it moving slow and then when it go to the trench is the same thing it coming in back”, one resident said.
Imtiaz Baccus, 64, of Kilcoy/Chesney South, said that he is still under water and is aware that unless the level in the Number 4 trench goes down he will remain flooded. “GuySuCo and regional authorities trying their best but until that water does not drop the water won’t come off in our yard.”
According to Baccus, the Albion Estate also drains their field water through the same trench. “… The level of that trench is very high and the two pumps it is not enough because also GuySuCo has to drain their backlands and until the level of that trench does not drop the water in our scheme will remain.”
He added, “Every morning we wake the water remain the same level.”
As of yesterday afternoon the residents were all hoping that the water would recede faster so that they could return to some normalcy, however they were aware that they still have to deal with the after-effects of the flood.
