NDIA launches major desilting operations across Georgetown to boost flood prevention

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has commenced extensive desilting and dredging operations along several major drainage channels in Georgetown, as Government ramps up preparations for the ongoing rainy season and seeks to reduce the city’s vulnerability to repeated flooding. According to NDIA, works are already underway along the Commerce Street outfall channel as well as the Avenue of the Republic drainage corridor, two key pathways responsible for diverting large volumes of stormwater from the commercial district. The interventions are intended to improve water discharge, address accumulated silt deposits, and enhance the efficiency of the system during periods of heavy rainfall and high tides. In the coming days and weeks, NDIA will expand its dredging programme to several additional outfalls across the capital, including Cowan Street, Church Street, Princess Street, Sussex Street, La Penitence, South Ruimveldt, North Ruimveldt and Rome. These works target chronic blockages that have restricted water flow in both residential and high-traffic commercial zones.

Alongside dredging activities, NDIA is also clearing and excavating under the bridge along the South Road drainage channel. This operation is expected to significantly improve the movement of water to the nearby sluice, an area that often experiences backups due to heavy traffic and structural bottlenecks. The intensified flood-prevention push comes on the heels of several hours of heavy rainfall in Georgetown on Friday, which left sections of the city waterlogged and triggered widespread public concern. Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha told the media that all available measures are being activated “behind the scenes” to prepare for the rainy season and minimise future flooding. He noted that all 13 drainage pumps in Georgetown and surrounding areas were operational during Friday’s downpour, while kokers and sluices were monitored closely to ensure effective discharge despite high tides. Minister Mustapha stressed that while the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) carry certain responsibilities for urban drainage maintenance, the central Government continues to intervene where necessary to ensure pumps are functional and critical infrastructure remains in working order. On Friday, the Minister toured sections of Main Street and other affected districts following reports of flooding that caused traffic backups, submerged pavements and forced pedestrians onto roadways. The recent installation of a drainage pump ahead of the Christmas Village event was not sufficient to counter the intensity of the rainfall, leading to drains overflowing in the area. During visits to the Liliendaal, Kingston, Kitty, Lombard Street and Princes Street pump stations, all units were observed operating continuously, even as the tide remained high, to push excess water into the Atlantic Ocean. However, several Georgetown neighbourhoods, including Bel Air Park, Regent Street, Avenue of the Republic, Smyth Street, Quamina Street and sections of Lombard and High Streets, experienced significant pooling. In flood-prone zones, clogged drains filled with bottles and waste further hampered water flow. While areas along the lower East Coast of Demerara also saw considerable water accumulation, conditions there were less severe than in the city. Floodwaters gradually receded once rainfall subsided.