Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) Chairman Kenneth Williams on Friday said that the high-water levels in the El Dorado River, which has overtopped and flooded the community of Eteringbang, is receding.
Several businesses and houses in the mining community were inundated as a result of the rising water levels on Thursday. The floods were attributed to the unusually high water levels in a nearby river that has overtopped.
However, when contacted for an update on the situation in Eteringbang, the Regional Chairman said the water is receding but not significantly.
“The water is receding. It is receding very slowly and they anticipate that it would recede even further… It has receded at least by one foot,” Williams told <<<Guyana Times>>> on Friday afternoon.
According to the Chairman, residents from in the border community are reporting that the El Dorado River in neighbouring Venezuela has overtopped and flowed into the Cuyuni River, along which Eteringbang is located, hence the flooding there.
“Eteringbang is near the bottom of El Dorado River [on the Cuyuni River] and that is the reason for the water rising exponentially… that’s the local knowledge we’re receiving,” he noted.
Nevertheless, Williams indicated that there is a possibility that the water levels may increase overnight.
However, he posited that the residents in Eteringbang are adamant that the situation will improve and not worsen.
“So, [residents] say that they anticipate that it will get better rather than worse. But some people have moved, especially the business people, simply because the water was threatening to set into the businesses,” the Regional Chairman stated.
On Thursday, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) reported that floodwaters had risen significantly in Eteringbang, affecting some 10 commercial establishments and at least three households. But Chairman Williams subsequently related to this newspaper that by late Thursday afternoon, at least 10 households were impacted by the rising water.
It was reported that the water level rose some three to four feet above normal levels on Thursday.
The CDC had said that Region Seven is expected to endure rainfall Thursday night and towards the end of the week, measuring as much as two inches during a 12-hour period.
But according to the Regional Chairman, the “normal light showers” experienced Thursday night did not contribute to or worsen the flood situation in Eteringbang.
Williams further related to this publication that the mining community had experienced similar occurrences in recent weeks but the water levels were not as high as they were on Thursday.
Meanwhile, during the May-June heavy downpour that saw high-levels of flooding across the country and even in some communities in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region, it was noted that Eteringbang was also inundated.
On this note, the Chairman noted that the water levels there were not as severe as other communities in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region that were flooded such as Waramadong and Jawalla.
Nevertheless, the CDC on Thursday said it is working with the regional authorities in Region Seven to monitor the developing situation. The Commission further noted that it is prepared to dispatch relief supplies and an assessment team to Eteringbang if the need arises.
The last time the mining community of Eteringbang experienced severe flooding was in August 2019 following persistent rainfall over a few days.
Between May and June this year, heavy rains resulted in widespread flooding across the country, affecting some 30,000 households. The devastation included submerged buildings and vehicles with adverse effects on crops, livestock and health.
It has been noted that the rainfall experienced in May alone was recorded as the second highest level of rainfall across the country in the last 40 years. The situation had led President Dr Irfaan Ali to formally declare the flooding a national disaster.
