Region 9 flooding: 20 families relocated to shelters, several others evacuated to higher ground

A number of residents in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) continue to be severely affected by flooding as a result of the continuous rainfall in recent days coupled with the nearby rivers in Brazil overtopping into the Takutu river.

This has ultimately caused the river banks to overflow.
Contacted for an update on the floods on Tuesday, communications officer of the Civil Defence Commission Patrice Wishart stated that the region is still facing heavy rainfall.
“The Hydrometeorological Service forecasts more rain this evening into the morning hours.”
“A total of 63 persons are housed in two separate shelters. One set at the Tabatinga Sports Complex and the other set at CDC’s Regional Disaster Risk Management Centre,” he said.
Wishart stated that over 20 families have been relocated into the shelters while others have turned to family members and close relatives for the time being.

The impacted areas, he stated, continue to be Lethem and some of the other communities located in South Rupununi. Some heavily impacted areas were on Monday revealed by the region’s Chairman, Bryan Allicock, which included St Ignatius, Tabatinga and Bashaidrun.
Up to late Tuesday, vehicles coming from the airstrip, all villages from South Rupununi, Moco Moco Village, and St Ignatius have difficulties accessing Lethem.
In addition, any vehicle coming from Georgetown will be greeted by the submerged Tabatinga Bridge.
Wishart explained that the CDC was at the time unable to verify if the floodwaters have increased in these areas.
“We are unable to verify at this time since we are awaiting regional reports. However, to our knowledge water has not increased,” he said.
He further lamented that the CDC has so far been able to deliver relief supplies to the residents of the region while noting that this will continue.
“Residents of the impacted communities have received food and cleaning hampers, water purification tablets, water containers and other essential supplies. Additional relief supplies are destined for Region Nine on Wednesday,” the communications officer added.
Meanwhile, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) executed a series of emergency works in the Mahaicony-Abary area, in Region Five following instances of flooding due to continuous and heavy rainfall.
Giving an overview of some of the works undertaken in response to flooding in the affected areas, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha explained that a mobile pump was installed, several drainage canals were cleared along with the installation of tubes and the construction of embankments.
He added that Chairman of the NDIA, Lionel Wordsworth along with NDIA’s regional engineers were on the ground to assess the situation and oversee the works. He further stated that a team from the NDIA and the region will be monitoring the situation in Region Five and other affected regions along the coast and other parts of the country on a 24-hour basis.
Minister Mustapha also encouraged persons to remain alert as Guyana is currently experiencing above-normal rainfall as part of the ongoing May-June rainy period.
As of Monday, 70 per cent of the water from Huntley to Abary in Region Five had receded due to consistent drainage and cleaning operations.