The authorities in the Rupununi have commenced an operation to rescue 25 adult Arapaimas stranded in the dried out sections of the Rewa River, as the El Nino dry weather phenomenon continue to impact communities within the Region Nine area.

Mike Williams of the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), told the Guyana Chronicle that residents of the area fanned out to the Rewa River on Sunday and they were expected to rescue the 25 adult fishes and several juveniles.

He said currently several parts of the river have ran dry and the rescuers are planning to move the fishes further upstream to the deeper parts within the waterway.

“If they don’t take them to the deeper areas they may die “, he told this newspaper.

As it relates to the conditions at Annai, Williams said the situation is similar to what prevails in other parts of the region. He said residents have been depending on water from the government compound at Annai over the years but currently the pipes are dripping.

As such, residents have resorted to digging wells. He said the Bina Hill Institute is also affected by the situation and he informed that the Annai Secondary School was almost closed recently given the lack of water for the student population there.

“At Bina Hill where we have 55 children and daily we had to be pumping water every two hours but we still have to be digging the well every week ”, he said.

Meanwhile, Regional Executive Officer (REO), Carl Parker told the Guyana Chronicle that he travelled to the capital city over the weekend and on his way out, he observed parts of the North Rupununi and the Essequibo River having low water levels.

He said near the Kurupukari Crossing, residents reported that the level of the Essequibo River is at an all-time low. So communities are grappling with the situation”, he added.