-cleared alleys, drains, aided the resistance

DESPITE persistent downpours over the past few days, the capital city of Georgetown was not inundated.
When the Guyana Chronicle travelled around Georgetown on Saturday, June 24, it was discovered that areas that are usually flooded withstood the heavy rainfall.
Though there were sights of water puddles in the road, no serious damage was seen. Areas such as Festival City, South Ruimveldt, Albouystown, Alexander Village and Queenstown were some of the communities that showed resistance against the rainfall.

Residents of South Ruimveldt expressed their gratitude to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and Government of Guyana (GoG), for working around the clock to ensure that drains and alleys were cleared so that water could recede fast.
An elderly man of South Ruimveldt, who identified himself as Stanley, recalled the days when his area would be flooded “as soon as rain fell.”
“With all of this rain that falling, water would normally be at the door of almost everyone in this community… because of this, persons had to raise their yard so that they can withstand the flooding,” he said.

Stanley believed that the usual phenomenon was averted because of the constant drainage work that is ongoing in the area.
Residents of different communities shared similar sentiments but, some were unsatisfied with the work in their area and even alleged that they were neglected by the relevant authorities.
A few persons from Alexander Village complained about drains not being attended to adequately by the M&CC.

Their contentions were however contradicted by many others from the said village, who said they were pleased with the efforts to control the flood situation in the community.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Chronicle reported on Friday that half of the M&CC’s budget of $240M for drainage has been expended so far, to ensure that floodwaters recede rapidly during the ongoing rainy season.
Town Clerk, Royston King, was reported in the publication as saying, due to persistent downpours over the past few days, the M&CC has been forced to take action in order to prevent flooding in areas around Georgetown.

“Extensive work is being done in critical areas such as Alexander Village, all the divisions of Ruimveldt, Campbellville and some sections of Queenstown,” said Chief Engineer of M&CC, Colvern Venture, who added that most of their challenges are faced in the southern part of the city because of the prevalence of squatters who hinder their ability to access the canals.
The Council was nevertheless able to deploy employees, who are working to ensure that blockages and waterways are cleared in order to allow water to reach quickly to sluices and pumps, said Venture.