As the flood situation continues across communities in Region Five (Demerara-Mahaica), Regional
Scene from Moraikobai’s flooding on Tuesday
Democratic Council officials on Wednesday met with residents and farmers in the communities of Lovely Lass, Trafalgar and Union to address their concerns.
Officials also met with affected residents of Moraikobai on Tuesday.
These meetings came in light of statements made by aggrieved residents who expressed that the regional administration was doing “little or nothing” to address their plight.
Region Five Chairman Vickchand Ramphal told Guyana Times that the water level remains high in many of the areas and some cash crop plots are being destroyed.
He further opined that livestock is also being affected in three areas which is severely threatening the livelihoods of farmers and the economy of the region as a whole.
The Chairman noted that in Trafalgar, the canal and sluice is heavily silted. To this end, it was observed that the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) installed a hydraulic pump. Ramphal however cautioned that this pump is insufficient to handle the amount of water on the land.
Guyana Times was told that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will soon provide an additional pump but no clear date has been given for this installation. Meanwhile, this newspaper was told that a medical team will be deployed to affected areas and relevant agencies such as the Civil Defence Commission and the Agriculture Ministry have been notified of the crisis.
On Tuesday, reports surfaced of flooding in Lovely Lass, Mahaica, due to a faulty pump which was installed by MMA/ADA. This publication reported that residents felt the region had “turned a deaf ear” on their plight to have the issue discussed with MMA/ADA.
It was noted that the heavy downpours over the last few days caused this situation to escalate to the point where some of the roads began to deteriorate. Ernest Mona, one affected resident, told this newspaper that in addition to a faulty pump, the general drainage in the area is in dire need of attention. According to Mona, the residents raised the issue with Councillors who reportedly informed that it was not their place to address the flooding situation. The man further remarked that residents who are living on the dams are feeling the full brunt since that part of the area is especially affected.
Regional Chairman Ramphal had confirmed that a solution was not in the hands of the region’s administration since the pump had been placed by the MMA/ADA. He also pointed out that the area is generally prone to flooding so the effects are extended, as the faulty pumps compound the problem.
Over the last few weeks, Guyana Times has been highlighting the challenges which communities in Region Five have been facing as a result of being inundated. It was noted that more resources are needed to alleviate the flooding.
A breached dam along the Perth Canal in Branch Road, Mahaicony, led to significant acreages of rice lands being inundated earlier in May. Farmers there had the costly undertaking of having to pump water out of their rice lands.
