With several parts of the country still reeling from the effects of recent flooding from above normal rainfall, the government yesterday announced flood management and mitigation measures that include construction of a new drainage system for flood-prone South Georgetown.
“Planning will commence soon on a massive project to relieve South Georgetown from flooding with the construction of a new drainage system and other infrastructure to facilitate this, while at the same time other areas of the city will also benefit from significant investment to mitigate against flooding and enhanced infrastructure,” President Irfaan Ali yesterday told the nation during an address to mark his government’s first year in office.
“We believe strongly that future generations in Guyana and that of the world depend on sustainable development,” he added.
When contacted, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill told Stabroek News that flooding in the area has long been a concern of the President and he bemoaned the suffering of residents who have had to endure it for years.
Edghill said it was Ali, after looking at recommendations for tackling flooding in the city, who sought a plan that would first address the South Georgetown communities before others come on stream. “As an approximate guide, South Georgetown is any area South of Brickdram but this project targets more specifically the South Ruimveldt, North Ruimveldt and Festival City areas, which is basically a basin, really,” Edghill told this newspaper following Ali’s address.
“That area remains with water for several days and it has been a source of concern of the President. As a result of the drainage issue, the roads have deteriorated and, of course, accompanying the flooding and stagnant waters comes mosquitoes and other issues. So we are looking at designing a way of getting the water out to either the river or the ocean,” he added.
Edghill said that drainage for the city currently depends on the Liliendaal Pump Station but added that “the connectively of drains makes that process slow”.
“So the experts and engineers will examine all of the possibilities and it will also have to be costed to ensure we have the most cost effective and efficient design to alleviate the suffering of the people in the South Georgetown area,” Edghill said.
Meanwhile, Ali said that other flood mitigation works will continue, such as relates to the sea and coastal defences.
He also pointed out countrywide works will also include the construction of three new major outfalls, similar to the Region Four Hope Canal, in regions Three, Five and Six.
Ali also reiterated the relief measures he announced last Saturday for the flood-affected, including billions in cash grants for households and farmers.
“A major programme of flood response measures is already being rolled out. This aims at getting both households and producers, such as our farmers, back on their feet in the shortest possible time. The assistance aims at ensuring that they are able to replant their crops and restore their livestock as a matter of the highest urgency,” he said.On Saturday, in a brief address to the nation, Ali explained that recent flooding has severely affected 300 communities and 52,000 households. The agricultural sector, he said, has suffered the greatest loss with 92,000 acres of farm and farm lands affected. The sugar industry, in particular, he noted, suffered a $1.5 billion loss in the fields.
According to Ali, initial estimates show $23 billion in loss of production across the sector while damage to the forestry sector and loss of production and damage to equipment is estimated to be in excess of $8 billion.
