After torrential rains with the aid of clogged drains, silted outfalls and broken pumps flooded the capital city and its outskirts on Friday, the water receded on Saturday morning, allowing Guyanese to wrap-up their final shopping before Christmas.
Minister David Patterson at the Kingston Pump Station
The Hydromet department had advised that rain is expected to continue for Sunday through Wednesday and as much as 45mm is expected which is above the established drainage capacity within the city.
However, there was minimum rain in Georgetown throughout Saturday with the usual Christmas Eve shopping craze in Georgetown in full swing. Even with dark clouds hovering and the occasional drizzle, persons braved the rains to do their last-minute shopping.
After several hours of persistent heavy rain started early Friday morning, residents on the coastal regions throughout the country woke up to flood waters in their homes and businesses.
A flood-free Regent Street was busy on Saturday as Guyanese did their last minute Christmas shopping
In central Georgetown, business owners rushed to their premises to assess their losses while saving whatever items they could from the flood waters.
Late Friday evening and early Saturday morning, the Public Infrastructure Ministry, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) had its staff out in full, assisting with the receding water.
Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson during a live television programme on Friday, disclosed that Lamaha and Riverview pumps were down in Georgetown. This was discovered by a team that had been dispatched to conduct on-the-ground assessments early Friday morning.
The Lamaha Street pump was back in operations by Friday evening while the Riverview pump was up and running by Saturday morning.
Additionally, two pumps were installed Friday evening at Muneshwer’s and Sussex Street locations while two smaller pumps were deployed within Georgetown, including in the Queenstown area. These pumps, the Minister had stated, will help drain the water into the main canals faster, while works are carried out to the inoperable pumps.
“Hopefully, without a large among of rainfall, we should be perfect by Christmas Day,” Patterson anticipated.
Additionally, excavators have been deployed to the Cummings, Cowan Street, and Downer Street canals. Minister Patterson explained that this was done since during flooding, a lot of debris from the environs enters the drainage systems and restricts the flow of the water.
Moreover, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) was also in Albouystown, East Ruimveldt, and West Ruimveldt to undertake emergency relief works.
On the other hand, several communities in East Bank and East Coast Demerara, along with some on West Demerara, were also inundated on Friday but were flood-free by Saturday morning.
The flooding came mere months after the much touted “Green Initiative” clean-up in the city, when Government had said that the days of flooding in Georgetown were a thing of the past.
