Torrential rain flooded large parts of Georgetown yesterday afternoon underlining the vulnerability of the capital to inundation in the context of climate change and a key pump went down after it came into a contact with a piece of wood.
Although all other pumps and sluices were operable, the four inches of rain that drenched the capital left knee-high floods as kokers could not be opened due to the high tide.
At the Square of the Revolution, several vehicles plunged into a crater close to Hadfield Street as floodwater covered the road.
Floodwater in North and South Ruimveldt “receded quickly” as a direct result of the desilting of the alleyways initiated by the Government, President Irfaan Ali said in a post on his Facebook page last night.
A Ministry of Agricul-ture statement yesterday said that four inches of rainfall had pounded the city.
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha visited all pump stations to assess the situation. He was accompanied by a team from the National Drain-age and Irrigation Autho-rity (NDIA).
From the visit, the Ministry of Agriculture said the Princes Street pump was non-functional after it came into contact with a piece of wood. The NDIA is in the process of extracting the pump to effect repairs and will work around the clock to ensure that it becomes operable in the shortest possible time, the statement said.
The NDIA is urging citizens to desist from wantonly dumping garbage and other refuse in waterways and in the vicinity of pumps as this could have catastrophic consequences for communities.
The statement also noted that the NDIA has assigned three engineers to the city who will monitor on a 24-hour basis to en-sure all pumps and sluices are operable and opened on time to minimize any possible flooding in George-town and its environs.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill last night told Stabroek News that sluice doors were opened around 6 pm after the high tide had receded. The accumulation of the water underlined that the city was still heavily dependent on kokers and if these couldn’t be opened because of the high tide then severe flooding would ensue.
Interacted
Stabroek News yesterday visited some flooded areas around Georgetown including North Ruimveldt, South Ruimveldt, Subryanville, Lodge and East Ruimveldt and interacted with residents.
Andy Moore, a resident of North Ruimveldt said that the flooding in his area is a result of negligence as the canal in the area needs to be dug properly for a better flow of water into the Demerara River.
He stated that it does not only to need to be cleared of the grass around it but needs to be desilted and dug deeper to facilitate a free flow of water.
Moore said authorities also need to remove squatters residing next to canals as this hinders drainage works and garbage is being dumped by these persons.
“Another thing is that the overflow is higher than the canals. The government needs to service the system better so (flood control) can be improved in Guyana,” he said. Moore was affected by the flooding after water seeped into his workshop at ankle length, resulting in him not being able to do much work. This is a recurring problem for him.
Another resident, Colin Philander said the government needed to instal more pumps so when the kokers cannot be opened because of the high tide, pumps will boost drainage.
He said places in Georgetown flood quicker than they should and the government needs to implement better flood prevention measures. The flooding, he noted, affects everyone whether passing in the community from work or not. He reminded that South Ruimveldt has always been under water making it difficult for persons to traverse the area.
Mickey Narine, a resident of Subryanville, said the flooding in his area is really “miserable” since it’s a regular occurrence. He said the government should participate in clearing the drains rather than depending on City Hall to do it. He shared that for years now, the drainage system has been poor and the government should do something about it.
Evette Craig, a resident of Hadfield Street, Lodge said the area always floods when rain falls. She said that while the government is trying to assist in other areas to improve livelihoods, some attention needs to be given to providing good drainage for the area.
“The flooding is affecting everyone in the area since it covers all points including our yards, roads, etc. The Government should do something about the drainage in the area,” she lamented.
And Heyburu McPhoy told Stabroek News that the East Ruimveldt area has always been flooded. He said that people can’t come out of their houses much to do anything or hang out when the rain falls.
“There is nothing much to be done when the rain falls in this area,” he said, before stating that the roads need to be raised higher and the canal needs to be dug deeper with more pumps deployed in order to prevent flooding.
In a Facebook update late last night, President Ali stated that the flooded areas in Main and Quamina streets will be provided with drainage through the Church Street sluice.
The flooded yards in Hardina, Princes, Haley and D’Urban streets will be drained through the Princes Street sluice while drainage for Robb, Camp, Regent and Croal streets will be provided via the Commerce Street sluice.
The President added that East, North and South Ruimveldt will be drained via the Liliendaal pump and Ruimveldt north and south sluices. Kitty, Campbellville, Subryanville, Bel Air and Sophia’s drainage will continue via the Kitty and Liliendaal pumps.
The Queenstown and Alberttown areas will be drained through the Cowan Street sluice and the Kitty pump.
And Albouystown and North East La Penitence will be provided with drainage via the Sussex Street sluice, while Alexander Village and West Ruimveldt will be drained via the North Ruimveldt sluice.
The government has taken on more of the drainage responsibility by inserting the NDIA into what has traditionally been the preserve of the city council. (Subhana Shiwmangal)
