Dear Editor,
THE existing flooding in Guyana is not only caused by heavy rainfall, but also by human negligence from the NDCs and those responsible for drainage and irrigation. Last week Thursday it rained very heavily all day; I was in my room reading and had a wedding to perform at 5 PM; my wife called and told me our downstairs was flooded. I left my studies and ran downstairs: the water was under my entire house, my neighbour’s kitchen was ducked and my front bridge was covered. I had to leave for 4:15pm and was worried as to how to get over my front bridge. I needed an urgent boat to no avail.

My concerns are many where I live here in Agriculture Road. I note with interest the water from the trench runs back into my yard. This trench is full of bushes and huge trees and snakes from Fibre Tech Industries. The BV/Triumph NDC is responsible for digging this trench, but it was never dug; if this trench was just six feet deep my yard and residents’ yard would have never come under floods. This is the trench on the right- hand side of the road.

I always pay my rates and taxes on time early in January, I have never owed a cent, yet I cannot get the services from the BV and Triumph NDC. The other trench over by NAREI that over-flows into the NAREI compound and is now a threat to their stock farm too, is another trench that needs digging and cleaning. If these trenches had been dug deep and were properly maintained, then we would have had no flooding. To avoid flooding we need deep tranches for land movement and the smaller trenches leading to the big trenches must be maintained properly. I also noticed that residents in Agriculture Road built a lot of structures on the government reserves to do businesses and to also use as playgrounds, thus making it impossible for the NDC to clean these trenches. I wonder if it is not the NDC that give these residents permission to build business structures on the government reserves, if not, who gave them permission to construct businesses on the Government reserves?

I have travelled this entire nation everywhere and I see nasty trenches full of trees and bushes. My sister called me from Port Mourant last week, she told me her yard is over three feet in water and there is no pump to pump out the water.In my travels, I notice most pumps and kokers are not working.Why are we paying rates and taxes to NDCs that have no interest in the citizens.In the news I see Minister Patterson, Holder and Mr Flatts trying to help the situation that’s not far from the 2005 floods, but my questions are the same. Why try to build a toilet when you need to ease your bowels? Why try to learn to start a pump only after you are flooded? Why try to bring a drag-line on a slippery muddy dam to work when these jobs could have been done earlier in the dry season? What are we paying taxes for? We should be asked not to pay taxes again until 2020 to recover our losses, or residents should sue these NDCs for compensation.

I really want Mr. Patterson and Mr Holder to come into Agriculture Road to see these business structures that hinder work for these trenches to be cleaned and to have access to these weed trenches that are filled with trees as well.I really want them to see this potholed road repaired that’s a human disgrace to the Guyana School of Agriculture.
All these floods can be avoided if we have deep-cleaned trenches with proper palls in some areas. It will take money, but lots of money are wasted on things like Mash, Carifesta, and Independence, but we need to maintain this nation from constant flooding.

Right now millions of dollars are lost in the rice and agriculture sector; those areas need to be protected. Millions are lost in livestock and residents lose millions in their household assets. We need to study this country during the rainy season and act early before it’s too late. In my observation, this flooding could have been prevented if trenches, drains, kokers, sluices and pumps were properly managed and maintained; we need more competent people at the NDC’s and NDIA. Only prayers can help us now. This flooding hinders our now Green Economy. Maybe our current administration will blame God now for the rains.

Regards
Rev. Gideon Cecil