After heavy rains and clogged drains left several communities in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) inundated since Sunday, the floodwaters are receding, Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal has informed.
The affected areas are Dundee in the Mahaicony area, Trafalgar, Lovely Lass, Bush Lot and Hope Town.
Ramphal told Guyana Times on Thursday that although “light showers” continued, no other areas were affected.
Responding to concerns about mosquitoes breeding in the remaining stagnant water, the Regional Chairman noted that fogging has been ongoing for the last two weeks.
Farmland that was inundated earlier this weekDesiltation works in the Region on Sunday
It was also explained that the Region still needed an excavator and hydraulic pump to undertake much needed cleaning and de-silting of drains and canals, so as to prevent further flooding.
This was in response to reports that the Region did not have “sufficient resources” to do this.
Guyana Times reported on Tuesday that flooding in the Region was posing a severe threat to residents, especially farmers, their crops and livestock. Several pastures where animals normally graze had seen high levels of flooding.
The Regional Administration had briefed the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on the situation, while the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) was in collaboration with the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) to desilt the outfall channel of the Trafalgar sluice.
On Sunday last, the Regional Chairman had observed that desiltation works to alleviate the flooding were undertaken.
On Monday, Ramphal said the main risks which residents faced included loss of crops and livestock, as well as damage to appliances and property.
With the rains bringing relief from the extended dry weather that had plagued the country and damaged many crops earlier this year, Guyana Times was made aware that many rice farmers in Region Five are yet to harvest their acreage.
