Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, yesterday declared that the thirteen pumps in Georgetown are fully operational and that the ministry is prepared to allocate additional resources to strengthen the flood response.
According to a release by the Agriculture Ministry, Mustapha accompanied by National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Chairman, Lionel Wordsworth, and NDIA engineer, Lonsdale Edghill, conducted a site visit to several drainage pumps in the city to ensure the equipment was fully functional.
The Minister during his visit at the Liliendaal pump station, said “In the City, all 13 pumps are fully operable. I am satisfied that the operators are working and we will continue to monitor them. We have three engineers working on a 24-hour basis monitoring these structures. If there are any issues, we’ll immediately mobilize mechanics to remedy the situation. We’ve been doing this over the past few months and I’ve noticed a major improvement in the way these pumps function.”
The visit was prompted following reports from the Hydromet Department which indicated that several villages in regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight, have been experiencing instances of persistent rainfall. The department further reported that areas in Region Five have been experiencing up to four inches of rainfall within the last 24 hours. The Minister said that his ministry has been working closely with the regional authorities and is prepared to allocate additional resources to strengthen its flood response efforts should the need arise.
“We are seeing heavy rainfall right across the country, not only in Georgetown and we are putting systems in place to minimize instances of flooding. We are monitoring the situation and have been working very closely with the Regional authorities to see what systems can be put in place to assist residents in these affected areas. We are also allocating additional resources so that we can be able to strengthen our flood response efforts should the need arise. Residents should also take the necessary precautions and desist from disposing of garbage in the alleyways and the drainage canals because it can affect the pumps. Only yesterday the pump at Cowan Street was affected because garbage got into it,” the minister reported. He explained that a visit to the pumps was necessary to ensure that they were functioning and to assess the city’s drainage structures.
Mustapha said that additional pumps have been deployed to areas on the Corentyne Coast as well as at Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara, to ensure extensive flooding does not take place. He noted that there have not been any reports of instances of major flooding in those affected areas. However, a resident of Enmore, has raised concerns about floodwaters rising to about two feet.
In its daily weather brief, the Hydromet Department stated that Novar, Mahaicony in Region Five recorded some 101.6mm (4.0 inches) of rainfall between 08:00hrs on Wednesday and 08:00hrs on Thursday. In Region Four, Ogle and Enmore recorded the highest levels of rainfall for the same period with Ogle recording some 89.2mm and Enmore some 73.4mm of rainfall.
In addition, the Department predicts that northern Guyana (regions 1 to 8 and 10) is likely to experience cloudy skies with scattered showers and intermittent rainfall. Rainfall is expected to range between 10mm to 30mm within a 24-hour period. The release added that the government has been partnering with the various municipalities, regional officials, and private sector representatives to conduct a massive nationwide clean-up campaign. Garbage has, for years, contributed to flooding in many parts of Georgetown and other villages across the coast.
The CDC, on the other hand, is advising all precautions be taken and any reports of intense flooding can be made to the local authorities or the National Emergency Monitoring System on 600-7500 or 226-1114.
