The township of Linden in Region Ten has long been struggling with flooding and poor drainage and as such, Prime Minister (PM), Mark Phillips and the Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, held a meeting yesterday with stakeholders to address these issues.
According to a release from the Office of the Prime Minister, the meeting which took place at the PM’s office at Colgrain House, Camp Street, Georgetown, saw a cross-section of representatives, including Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud; representatives from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), and National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA); Regional Democratic Council Regional Executive Officer, Dwight John; Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira; Town Clerk, Lennox Gasper; representatives from Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc, and inden Electricity Company Incorporated (LECI).
The meeting centred on immediate, medium, and long-term flood-mitigation for the town. The Linden delegation took the opportunity to also highlight ongoing challenges in several areas they felt required urgent attention.
The Prime Minister in response, addressed their concerns directly while emphasising the importance of a comprehensive approach. He assured the stakeholders that the government is concerned about the impacts of the flood on the people of Linden and is prepared to continue meeting with them. “… we are interested in the actions taken and are monitoring the progress and we know we will have to take additional actions as we identify all things that need to be done and we will get it done. We know that we have to meet and we will continue to meet with you the stakeholders.”
The release noted that among the actions discussed were flood investigation and site assessments, which will be conducted by a team of engineers from the Ministry of Public Works, Special Projects Unit, NDIA, and other relevant stakeholders. Figueira was tapped to lead a flood investigation assessment in Linden sometime today. The team will visit flood-prone areas identified during the meeting to determine immediate action steps.
Regarding drainage and irrigation upgrades, it was agreed that specific areas in Linden, such as Five Corner, would receive priority attention. Drainage improvements, including clearing clogged culverts and converting mud drains into concrete structures, will be addressed before the next rainy season.
Phillips and Edghill also discussed infrastructure enhancements such as expanding and rebuilding critical culverts to increase capacity and mitigate future flooding. Additionally, dredging works in key areas will be initiated to improve water flow.
Also discussed was the development of a Garbage Disposal and Waste Management Plan which will focus on enhancing waste collection services and promoting environmental responsibility within the community, given that effective waste management is crucial in preventing drainage blockages.
The Prime Minister also emphasised the government’s commitment to collaborating with local stakeholders to modernise Linden’s drainage systems and enhance its resilience against future flooding. He underscored that achieving these goals requires a collective effort from all stakeholders, as he voiced his intention to continue engaging with the absent Mayor of Linden, Sharma Solomon, and Regional Chair, Deron Adams.
“If we are talking about on-going development, we the government are all for it, but we impress upon the town’s leadership that we still feel that they should be part of the meeting. The government is prepared to work with all the stakeholders to improve Linden and deal with issues causing the flooding but we need the elected leaders to be present at discussions concerning the development of Linden,” Phillips observed.
Meanwhile, Figueira expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue during the meeting, the release added.
