The Ministry of Agriculture is advising farmers and residents in low-lying communities to be on the alert as information from the Ministry’s Hydromet Service indicates that the current level of rainfall activity will persist for the next three days.
The predictions indicate that in the coming days, it is very likely that intermittent rain, becoming heavy at times, will persist across coastal Guyana, Region Ten, and southern parts of the country.
As part of the wider plan of the Ministry’s National Drainage and
Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in mitigating these conditions, the Authority has embarked on a number of interventions in agricultural areas with support from MMA/ADA, GuySuCo and Regional bodies.
Current activities include the installation of drainage pumps at Eversham, Region Six; Supply, Mahaica, Region Four; Windsor Forest, Region Three; Paradise, Enmore, and Hope, Region Four. Currently, one mobile drainage pump is also being deployed to Leguan.
In addition, the Authority has dredged outfalls at Little Diamond, Herstelling and Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara, and cleaned inlet channels at Schoonard, Windsor Forest, Vergenoegen, Hague and Den Amstel, Region Three. Dredging of pump basins at Triumph, Strathspey, Enmore and an inlet channel at Greenfield was also undertaken, along with the excavation of outfall channels at No. 43, Lesbeholden and Eversham, Region Six which is ongoing. The cleaning of the outfall at Anna Regina, Two Friends, Region Two, was also undertaken. The Authority has embarked on raising flood embankments in the Mahaica and Mahaicony Creeks and empoldering of critical areas.
The NDIA has also embarked on a number of interventions to provide support to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown. Georgetown does not fall within the mandate of the NDIA. These works include the dredging of outfall channels around the city which would allow for an improved gravity flow with greater hydraulic efficiency through the sluices, hence discharging larger volumes of water at low tides. The NDIA has provided a pontoon with an excavator for the carrying out of these critical works, while the M&CC has provided another excavator to facilitate the desilting works. Dredging was undertaken at the Cowan Street and Kingston outfalls.
Further, the Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, is urging all NDCs, Regions and other entities to increase vigilance during the rainy season. The Ministry’s emergency hotline and response capacity have been activated.