– vehicular transportation from Linden and Georgetown to Mahdia and Lethem cut off
EXCESSIVE rainfall and overtopping of creeks along certain sections of the Linden-Mabura Roadway over the last 24 hours, has led to severe flooding at 40 and 42 Miles Mabura, leaving those locations under about 25 feet of water, and completely shutting off vehicular transportation from Linden and Georgetown to Mahdia and Lethem.
Buses and cruisers plying the route yesterday, came in for a shock when they arrived at 40 and 42 Miles and found that so severe was the situation, vehicles at both ends of the road were ground to a halt.
Speaking with this newspaper yesterday, Regional Chairman of Region Eight, Senor Belle, expressing concern over the situation, said that he had been briefed on the development, and was advised that efforts are underway to have emergency works done to improve the situation.
Belle recalled that the situation appeared to have been threatening since Sunday afternoon, since the driver of a cruiser travelling from the capital city to Mahdia on Sunday night, arrived there late and gave an account of having experienced great difficulty navigating the flooded areas.
“The flooded area extends for about 25 metres at a depth of about two metres so there is no way that vehicles going to Mahdia and Rupununi or those going in the opposite direction can make it through the waters,” one driver said. The vehicles, laden with passengers and merchandise consigned to the interior locations were forced to make the long way back to the city.
The Regional Chairman, however, assured that Mekdeci Machinery and Construction Inc. yesterday travelled to the affected areas and have already dispatched culverts and other road building materials to effect drainage and other road works.
He said that while the situation is to be considered grave, communication links with Mahdia have not been shut off altogether, since there is a regular air transport service to Mahdia with two aircraft plying the route almost daily. But to the extent that vehicles taking mining and other bulk supplies to the area cannot continue to do so, it constitutes a problem, he observed, especially since it is more cost effective for commuters to travel by bus.
Belle said it is anticipated that, works on making the road passable once more, should be completed within the next three days or so.
Meanwhile, this newspaper tried unsuccessfully to contact officials of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications for a comment.