-PM sees negligence by town council
Heavy rain over the last two days has swamped large parts of Region 10 and sections of Region Nine and Five and the Ministry of Public Works has mobilized resources to ease flooding.
A Ministry of Public Works release yesterday said that the severe flooding in Linden is the result of an excessive amount of rainfall coupled with poorly maintained municipal drainage systems as well as obstructed drains. The ministry said that a multi-prong response had been launched. The Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Agriculture and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in collaboration with the Linden Town Council and the Region Ten council have been working to bring relief to citizens in the flooded area in Linden.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Patrice Wishart told Stabroek News yesterday that areas in Linden had been highly impacted by the flooding. These include Mackenzie, Wismar and Christianburg. A team is in the area assisting residents. In some areas in Region Nine like Lethem, the water has receded while some areas like Aishalton, South Rupununi are still flooded. An assessment team is in the area assisting residents.
The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) said that relief work started since dawn yesterday. A technical team from the bauxite company, BOSAI had also commenced a rapid assessment exercise across all affected areas in Linden, while teams have been dispatched to the Rupununi and other affected hinterland communities.
The MPW said that the central authorities have since engaged two contractors to clear blocked drains and take other actions to allow for a quick run-off of floodwaters in areas in Wismar and Mackenzie. Additionally, the Civil Defence Commission has begun preparations for establishing two shelters within the township of Linden before nightfall today to help people whose homes have been flooded.
One will be located at the Egbert Benjamin Hall, Linden and the other location is yet to be determined.
Overnight rainfall around Linden yesterday measured 170 millimeters in West Watooka, 160.6 millimeters at Wismar, and 123.4 millimeters at Coomacka.
The government urged all residents in low-lying areas to take necessary precautionary measures and called on stakeholders to join efforts to render assistance where possible.
Sharma Solomon, the Mayor of Linden during his walk through various communities yesterday interacted with residents and urged them to catalogue their damage and to report to the CDC what interventions should be made.
Some area he visited were Kara Kara, Hymara Creek, Rainbow City and Mackenzie. One of the major problems was the clogging of the Kara Kara and Hymara creeks which need to be cleared. He added that the Hymara Creek has not been cleared for the entire year and this flooded homes and yards. Even the Kara Kara school was under water. He added that ”It has been a very long time since the CDC did clearing of drains”. And, when certain creeks/drains are being cleared, the contractor does not complete the work. Material is left behind and when the rain comes, the drains/creeks are swollen, he said.
He contended that the creek should have been part of the recent clean-up exercise of the town in preparation for Independence Day. Persons living in flat houses may have to be evacuated to a shelter. He contended that the government should have consulted with the town council to be informed that the Hymara Creek needed to be cleaned.
Yesterday, a statement from the Office of Prime Minister Mark Phillips cited heavy rain as one of the reasons for the flooding but also berated the Linden council for poor work.
“Let me assure residents directly impacted by the flood that we are fully committed to providing swift and effective relief to you…
“Explicitly, the recent flooding is directly linked to heavy rainfall over the last 48 hours, compounded by the municipality’s neglect of the drainage system.
“Central government officials previously observed this issue during a visit, prompting a clean-up of drains in the central Mackenzie areas, including in front of the Mayor’s office, in preparation for the 58th Independence Anniversary Flag Raising Ceremony last Saturday evening.
“From all indications, the areas affected by flooding are a direct result of the ineptitude of the current Mayor and Councillors who are focused on collecting revenues from all possible sources while failing to maintain the drainage infrastructure essential for the safety of the residents now suffering from the floods”, Phillips said.
While the mayor was interacting with the affected residents of the area, a young man who has a pregnant wife shared how the flood had affected him and his spouse. Everything in his flat house is under water.
Another resident of the affected area, Althea Chester told the mayor that everything in the bottom flat of her home was damaged such as: freezers, music system and washing machine.
The mayor had highlighted that Kara Kara is about two feet under water and the backroad of Rainbow City is also under water.
According to the Vice Chairman of Region Five, Rion Peters there has also been flooding 90 miles up the Mahaicony River but persons are not seriously affected.
