Water receding in Region 5
One of the four mechanical pumps at work in Region Five (GINA photo)
One of the four mechanical pumps at work in Region Five (GINA photo)

AN on-the-ground inspection of flood- affected communities in Region Five has shown that water has significantly been drained off the land.Officials of the Regional Administration and the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), visiting the flood-affected areas on Monday, reported that the water has receded by almost nine inches. During their tour, several mechanical pumps which were installed by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the MMA/ADA were working to drain the land.

Land which was inundated in Region 5 is actively being drained
Land which was inundated in Region 5 is actively being drained

The team of officials comprised Region 5 REO Roderick Edinboro; Regional Information Officer Sandie Ross; Regional Health Officer (Ag), Dr Steven Cheefoon; Pediatrician Dr Julio Rodriguez Pena; Internal Medicine and Intensive Care Specialist Dr Enrique Wilson Garcia; General Medical Officer Dr Delon Ramnarine; Major Sean F. Welcome of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC); and Community Development Officer of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Kimmon Daniels.

Excavators were also seen clearing the main drainage channels within the affected areas of Trafalgar/Union. A pump was also installed at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice to drain that area.

Residents of the affected communities, having detailed to the officials their losses, which include livestock and cash crops, have expressed relief at the pace at which the water was being drained off the land.

Trafalgar resident Herbert Hoyte said, “It was bad! The water was under my house, but quite a lot has been achieved to get the water off the land.” Hoyte is, however, pleading for the Trafalgar outfall channel to be desilted; in his opinion, it is one of the factors that contributed to the flooding.

Addressing the issue of losses suffered by the residents, MMA/ADA General Manager Aubrey Charles said the issue of compensation would be discussed by the MMA/ADA Board; and along with the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), the form of assistance which would be provided would be determined.

Region Five Executive Officer (REO) Roderick Edinboro, expressing pleasure at the efforts made so far to bring the situation under control, has committed the Regional Administration to continue monitoring the situation.

One of several excavators at work clearing the drainage canal
One of several excavators at work clearing the drainage canal

Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal told the Government Information Agency (GINA) via telephone on Monday that water is receding from several affected communities, and the Regional Administration is working with the relevant stakeholders to determine the impact of the floods, and what assistance and relief would be rendered to affected residents.

One of the hardest hit areas in Region 5 has been the Indigenous community of Moraikobai, located up the Mahaicony River. Lower Moraikobai is the area worst affected.

The team visited that village over the weekend and distributed aid to the villagers, which included food hampers consisting of rice, flour, sugar, corn meal, Quaker oats, sardines and cooking oil. Some 160 households in Moraikobai were recipients of these hampers. Each household was issued with two gallons of rice, four kgs of flour, two kgs of sugar, three tins of sardines, one bottle of cooking oil, two packs of cornmeal and one pack of Quaker oats. These items, donated by the Mahaicony Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS), are meant to supplement the food supply of the residents.

Additionally, the medical outreach team provided medical examination and care for 106 residents, comprising 55 adults and 51 children.

 

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