The Regional Administration of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) is monitoring flash flooding in the Kabanawau area cutting off access to Aishalton Village, according to Regional Chairman Brian Allicock.
In a phone interview, Allicock said that owing to heavy rainfall, the creek was flooded and as a result, the Kabanawau Bridge was impassable.
“The heavy rain flooded the creek and now the bridge is under water and no vehicles can access it and that is a cause for concern, because most people use that bridge to get goods and produce in and out of Aishalton, so it now means that access is cut off from that village,” he informed.
These youngsters use the day off from school to take advantage of the high water level
This newspaper was told that children from the village of Chiridkanau were unable to attend school on Tuesday, since the bridge was impassable. Since the beginning of the May/June rainy season, several villages have experienced major flooding and some are still trying to rebuild after the floods. The hard-hit communities were mostly limited to Regions Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) as the floodwaters washed away houses, but, fortunately, there were no casualties.
One such village is Chenapau in Region Eight. Water levels in the Amerindian village rose to approximately 20 feet in some areas and the Potaro River remains flooded owing to the heavy rains the Region is currently experiencing.
Residents complained that following the initial relief supplies, the Government has yet to offer any additional supplies to the community, as they are still battling to recuperate. Farms in the village were washed away, and residents were finding it difficult to restart, since there were limited job opportunities and they were still being denied access to the generations-old trail in the Kaieteur National Park, which they use to get to their farms and to fish and hunt.
Approximately two weeks ago, roadways in Mahdia, Region Eight were washed away as a result of floods. There are also frequent reports of flooding in and around Georgetown and other parts of the coast.
