Intense rainfall leaves Kwakwani under floodwaters

…CDC conducting assessments, providing relief

As numerous communities across the country continue to deal with the effects of the prolonged inclement weather pattern, for residents of the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) community of Kwakwani, the situation is no different. Owing to heavy rainfall over the past few days, the riverine community is presently battling massive flooding, with homes and infrastructure being affected. The Kwakwani area is no stranger to floods, especially in areas such as Lamp Island and Waterfront areas, which are usually more prone to flooding. These two areas are presently the most affected. Residents of Lamp Island have refused to relocate to higher grounds despite advice from regional officials in the past to do so. In response to the flood situation, Regional Vice Chairman Douglas Gittens on Tuesday indicated that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) was in the process of preparing hampers for affected residents of Kwakwani. He said the Community Development Council (CDC) also took cleaning materials and supplies to assist with the situation.
In response to flooding in Linden, Councillor Michelle Daniels recently visited the communities of Amelia’s Ward, Watooka and Fair’s Rust. It was reported that at Amelia’s Ward and Watooka, poor maintenance of the soakaways and the clogged drainage systems have contributed to retarding the flow of runoff after heavy rainfall. The RDC in a statement said it will be pursuing the clearing of these structures by those persons who had been engaged to do so in the past, since it does not have resources to address these situations allocated in its budget.
“These projects would have fallen to the CDCs or the Community Infrastructure Programme (CIP) workers in the recent past. Notably, the Silvertown Community has not reported any significant impact of flooding, most likely attributable to the self-help work done in that community recently,” the statement read.
Several other communities affected by flooding were also visited by Councillors Franklin Carew and Coretta Braithwaite-Walton. Carew visited the “alleys” at Wismar and reported that flooding had impacted households in the area even with the construction of drains at Third Alley. The RDC said these drains were improperly constructed and the regional administration was tasked with ensuring that the engineer collaborates with the contractor to ensure this problem is solved.
Councillor Braithwaite-Walton also visited her area of responsibility and observed significant flooding of the bottom floors of homes at Rainbow City and Old Kara Kara. The RDC said the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has been informed of the occurrences in these areas as well as at Watooka, West Watooka, Block 22, Canvas City, Aroaima and Kwakwani and has responded to provide cleaning supplies to those in need.
Gittens also toured the Watooka area to observe how the community’s drainage structures were handling the heavy rainfall currently being experienced. It was noted that large scale maintenance efforts are needed to address the situation. The RDC has noted that since this work is usually financed at the level of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority and maintained through the engagement of the Community Development Councils and the CIP workers, a collaborative effort by these agencies, with robust monitoring from the RDC is needed.

Assessment
Meanwhile, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in a statement on Tuesday noted that it dispatched an assessment team to affected areas across the region over the past week. The CDC said following comprehensive assessments, cleaning hampers were distributed to residents in Block 42 (70), Rainbow City (12), West Watooka (13) First to Third Alley (67) and Siberian Village (26), with the total number of hampers distributed being 188. Cleaning hampers were also distributed in Kara Kara (22), Ladernsville (30), and Kwakwani (30).
“CDC received reports that Kara Kara, Blueberry Hill, Block 42, Siberian Village and Ladernsville (Region 10 areas) all experienced flooding as a result of heavy and consistent rainfall, and overflowing of nearby creeks and rivers. Approximately 100 households and farmlands of Kara Kara were impacted, including latrines,” the CDC said.
It noted that the Community Development Council Chairman indicated that the sanitary situation is their main concern since latrines almost always overflow during floods. “In Blueberry Hill and Block 42 numerous households were affected, and residents there indicated that there were improper channels for the flood waters to recede in a timely manner. At least 20 households were impacted in Siberian Village, but residents and members of the Community Development Council cleaned the clogged drains in the area allowing the water to recede quickly. In Ladernsville, 10 households were affected and residents there indicated that there are insufficient drains to facilitate proper water recession,” a statement from the CDC said.
It continued by stating that the CDC is continuously monitoring the situation in Region 10 and is working in tandem with the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the Community Development Council to receive timely updates. (G13)