Sections of Washclothes, Mahaicony, will be empoldered as flood waters remain stagnant in some areas. Following the empoldering, flood waters will be pumped from the residential areas.
This course of action was decided on yesterday by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha with the agreement of the residents.
Residents in the area yesterday told Stabroek News that they are at their wits end as although the floodwaters have receded from some parts, some yards and the dam remained submerged.
Mustapha, who has visited the area four times since the flood, said yesterday, “We have decided to do block empolderment and pump the water out.”
According to the Minister, in the initial stages of the flood this idea was floated but residents had disagreed. However, “Now they have decided that they will agree with that position.”
The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority is expected to commence the work in the area today.
Meanwhile, residents also informed the minister that the floodwaters have gotten into some of the Guyana Water Inc’s (GWI) pipelines rendering the water unfit for use.
Minister Mustapha subsequently placed a call to the head of that agency, who related that he would visit the community to assess the issue.
Furthermore, Washclothes residents yesterday pleaded with the minister to request that Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and GWI not carry out any disconnections in the area since due to the situation they are unable to pay their bills in a timely manner.
“Look what we going through here. All these losses, we can’t able pay them now”, one residents told the Minister.
Mustapha promised to have a word with the heads of both agencies to see what could be done.
The residents of that community have been battling flood waters for over one month now. One elderly resident, Pradeep Sharma, after assessing the situation, presented a written plan to Mustapha suggesting the necessary works that need to be carried out.
He told Stabroek News “I can work with them. We need to fix up this place.”
