Heavy rainfall: All pumps in Georgetown operational – Mustapha

With the onset of heavy showers of rainfall, an assessment of drainage pumps has shown that all are functional within the city of Georgetown.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Thursday conducted a site visit to several of these structures to determine if they were operational.
At the Liliendaal Pump Station, Minister Mustapha informed the media that all of the pumps in Georgetown are fully operable.
“In the City, all 13 pumps are fully operable. I am satisfied that the operators are working, and we will continue to monitor them. We have three engineers working on a 24-hour basis monitoring these structures. If there are any issues, we’ll immediately mobilise mechanics to remedy the situation. We’ve been doing this over the past few months, and I’ve noticed a major improvement in the way these pumps function,” he noted.
The Minister added that with the persistence of heavy rainfall across the country, the Ministry has been working closely with the regional authorities, and is prepared to allocate additional resources to strengthen its flood response efforts.
“We are seeing heavy rainfall right across the country, not only in Georgetown, and we are putting systems in place to minimise instances of flooding. We are monitoring the situation, and have been working very closely with the regional authorities to see what systems can be put in place to assist residents in these affected areas. We are also allocating additional resources so that we can be able to strengthen our flood response efforts, should the need arise.”
From reports emanating from the Hydromet Department, several villages in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) have been experiencing episodes of persistent rainfall.
Residents have been cautioned to desist from disposing of garbage in the drainage canals, since this would affect the working of the pumps. There have, however, been instances of such challenges in the past few days.
Meanwhile, additional pumps have been deployed to the Corentyne Coast and East Coast of Demerara. Thus far, there has been no report of major flooding.
The Hydromet Department has already predicted that Northern Guyana, which covers all zones except Region Nine, is likely to experience cloudy skies with scattered showers and intermittent rainfall. Rainfall is expected to range between 10.0mm and 30.0mm within a 24-hour period.
Taking into consideration the most recent weather report issued by the Hydromet Department, Minister Mustapha has said that a visit to the pumps was necessary to ensure the structures were functioning. He added that it is essential to assess the city’s drainage structures ahead of the forecasted rainy weekend. As customary, many areas in Georgetown are prone to flooding.
Over the last few weeks, the Government has been partnering with the various municipalities, regional officials, and Private Sector representatives to conduct a massive nationwide clean-up campaign. Garbage has, for years, contributed to flooding in many parts of Georgetown and other villages across the Coast.