Citizens must share blame for flooding crisis across coastline – Nandlall

– cites garbage dumping, illegal structures as key causes

Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall has called on citizens to change their conduct, behaviours, and actions that contribute to flooding in Guyana, especially along the coast, as he highlighted that garbage and obstructive concrete structures constructed by residents are the main contributing factors to blocked drains and flooding.

Speaking on his weekly programme “Issues in the News”, Nandlall noted that he was in various communities over the past week when several areas across the coast were inundated with flooding, and he was surprised by the temerity of some residents who were contributing to the flooding but outright maintained that they would not do anything to correct the situation.
“I have seen in several communities dozens of man-made obstructions. People do it wantonly and with impunity. They block the drains. They’ve constructed bridges, and these bridges are permanent structures that impede the flow of water. These bridges are constructed in the drains right in front of their homes. So, what do you expect?” Nandlall pondered.
“I engaged with one elderly woman who said that she is not concerned about what is outside her yard. She is only concerned about what is inside, and she is standing in three feet of water. There is no drain outside her yard because she blocked it off. I asked her if she could clear this, and she said no, she’s not going to do it. One blockage can flood an entire street because the water drains in one direction, and when there is a blockage midway, the water can’t run.”
The AG noted that while he is not excusing the responsibilities of the central, regional, and local Governments and agencies in the management of the waterways and flood risks, residents are just as culpable in contributing to the encumbrances of the waterways.
“It is not the Government’s intention to avoid responsibility when it falls on us, and therefore the Central Government, regional authority, neighbourhood democratic councils, and other agencies of the state, such as the NDI [National Defence Institute], must accept some amount of responsibility for the flooding that takes place. But one of the main causes of the flooding is the conduct, behaviour, and actions of the citizens,” Nandlall noted.
“We have to decide what type of society we would like to live in. It would appear that some people have no problem living in filth and no problem living in a garbage-infested society. They have no problem with an environment that is hazardous to health. You see that when you look at the way they conduct themselves, the way they treat their environment.”
Aside from the obstructive infrastructure, Nandlall called out the callous dumping of garbage that ends up in the waterways. He noted that many of the residents approached are refusing to see any responsibility for the cleanliness of the drains, instead believing the entire responsibility should be borne by the local Government Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).
“In astonishing volumes, all of the main drains have these pile-ups of bottles, boxes, and other garbage. Piles accumulate in the corners of the kokers. That is what you’re finding. I engage people, and I encourage them to clean their drains, and people flatly told me no, they’re not going to do it. When I grew up on this coast, I recall that every person used to dig their own drain in front of their homes. Now people are telling you that the NDC must do that,” Nandlall noted.
“When I was in primary school, there used to be posters on the walls that said cleanliness is next to godliness. That is apparently no longer applicable.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Guyana Hydromet Service warned that over the next three days heavy rainfall is expected across Guyana with the potential for significant flooding in a number of communities, especially low-lying and flood-prone areas.
The advisory is expected to remain in place until Friday night.
As such, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) urged all members of the public to take necessary precautions during the expected period of rainfall and flooding.
The CDC said members of the public should avoid flood-prone areas whenever possible, exercise extreme caution when driving or walking during rainfall, keep drains, trenches and waterways clear to reduce risk of flooding and secure important documents, household items and other valuables.
The Hydromet Service is predicting that over the next three days, the country will experience cloudy to overcast conditions with frequent showers and thundershowers across Regions One–Five, southern Region Six, Seven, and Nine, with rainfall between 20 and 50 mm.
Other areas are expected to experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered showers and lighter rainfall of 10–20mm.