Even as residents are desperately praying to see soil again, reports are that the water levels in the community of Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) have been fluctuating, causing some persons to lose hope.
This is according to the acting Director General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, who told Guyana Times that the water level had seemingly begun to recede, but he has received reports of the water level returning to its initial height of approximately nine feet.
He explained that the abundant rainfall the community has been experiencing is
An aerial view of the extent of the flood in Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River
likely responsible for this phenomenon, and another batch of food supplies has been sent to the community, which is very much in need of same.
Colonel Craig said food supplies have been distributed to the villagers by volunteers who can traverse the village only by boat.
Several food hampers supplied by the CDC were distributed on Wednesday, for the first time since severe flooding besieged the community.
Over 300 households remain affected by the disastrous situation, and although the residents have adopted adaptive measures, most homes are completely flooded, and occupants have been forced to move to higher ground.
On Sunday morning, some residents also received utensils, medical supplies, and supplies of cleaning agents from the CDC. These include soap powder, bleach, soap, long boots and other cleaning agents.
Region 10 Vice Chairman Elroy Adolph, a resident of Kwakwani, has expressed the residents’ appreciation for the CDC’s effort in promptly responding to their call for help.
“I am pleased they were very prompt. I am very pleased that they have come on board to assess the situation and to also provide help, just two days after,” Adolph said.
Adolph said one of the challenges facing the residents in the present situation is transportation. He said high fees are being charged, especially by canoe operators plying the flooded routes, to transport residents who live on the outskirts of Kwakwani into the central location for shopping and other business-related purposes.
Regional Vice Chairman Adolph is calling on the relevant officials to consider raising the level of the main access road, so that when flooding occurs in the future, transportation would not be affected.
Residents have even made a call for the Government to consider commencing irrigation works in the area as soon as the water recedes, to prevent the situation from recurring.
Flooding in Kwakwani commenced in April and intensified over the months because of heavy rainfall coupled with overtopping of the Berbice River. Persons living on Lamp Island and the Waterfront are the most severely affected.
The water rose to as high as eight feet in some areas, but reportedly is receding slowly. Residents are currently forced to utilise boats as their main mode of transportation, since the roads are inundated.
