Canal Number 2 residents fume over drainage issues

Canal Number Two residents are fuming over the neglect of the main trench that runs along the seven-mile roadway that leads to the Demerara conservancy, which has been plagued with aquatic plants and moss.
The canal serves primarily as the main drainage network for water to leave the lands during the rainy season and high tides. However, the channel has been clogged with silt and moss that almost reaches the meniscus of the water level. To the knowledge of the villagers, the waterway has never been excavated.
Speaking with Guyana Times during a visit to the community, residents indicated that the waterway is in need of a proper cleaning and interventions are needed to dig sections of the canal. At this moment, the upper half of the canal is shallower than the lower half. On most occasions, it was related that the canal is cleaned alone, and the moss would regrow in a few months.
This causes an imbalance when it rains, which results in flooding to those who reside close to the conservancy. To fix this issue, the canal needs to be dug evenly and to a certain depth.
Speaking to this publication, a taxi driver, who lives in the village stated, “We get the back half which is deep than the front half so the buildup in the canal does affect the force of the water. They don’t send to excavate it so that all the water could leave, so we always having this issue.”
“Rainy season coming soon so they better get the stuff out cause is flood again, especially how the back deeper than in front when you come in.”
During high tides and intense rainfall, Canal Number Two along with its neighbouring village, Canal Number One, have been flooding.
Back in July, livestock and produce were affected after many premises were inundated during a flooding situation. The water was unable to leave the land, which resulted in millions of dollars in losses.
Residents indicated that the waterway was cleaned at that time but they are still back to the same situation.
On numerous occasions, the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Lionel Jaikaran, was asked to look into the matter. However, residents indicated that there was no response from the REO. Efforts by this publication to contact Jaikaran proved futile.