Flood watch…
-gave assurance strict monitoring, interventions ongoing
AT A HIGH-level meeting called early yesterday at the Prime Minister’s Wight’s Lane offices on upper High Street Kingston, members of the media were brought up-to-speed on the situation in Region Ten which has been under water for some time now owing to adverse weather conditions.
They were apprised of the many interventions the government has been making
since the situation arose, including the dispatching of equipment to boost regional capacity to deal with it, and the distribution of essential food items in an attempt to render short-term relief to residents directly affected by flooding, which has been caused by heavy rainfall coupled with spring tide in hinterland and riverain communities.
The early-morning meeting, which was chaired by the Prime Minister, Mr. Samuel Hinds, saw among those in attendance the Ministers of Agriculture; Transport and Hydraulics; Local Government and Regional Development; and Health, Messrs. Robert Persaud, Robeson Benn, Kellawan Lall and Leslie Ramsammy respectively;   Region Ten Chairman, Mr. Mortimer Mingo, and Head of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Mr. Chabilall Ramsaroop.
Besides noting that the Government has adequately responded to the situation in terms of relief, Mr. Hinds said all the relevant ministries and agencies are on board, and that the government is keeping a close watch on the situation to ascertain what more can be done, and to ensure that it does not escalate further.
He said the persistent heavy rains we’re now experiencing countrywide is a common occurrence the world over, particularly with countries which, like Guyana, would have had long dry spells too just prior to the onset of a change in the weather.
Minister Persaud spoke of the works the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has been carrying out to prevent large-scale flooding, and said the government has allocated $100M to be spent on Region Ten this year, primarily in the heavily populated areas like Kwakwani and Coomacka.
It was noted that from a national perspective, the floods have not affected the performance of the economy since residents in the areas under water are small-scale farmers.
With reference to the situation with the creek crossings at Mabura, which were restored to normal within four days, thanks to quick intervention by the government, Minister Benn said: “The Ministry has also dispatched an excavator along with other equipment to the Kamakabra Creek area on the Ituni- Kwakwani trail to relieve and restore the road section which was overtopped due to the swollen stage of that creek caused by recent extreme inland rainfall.”
The government, through the Civil Defence Commission and the help of the local charity, Food for the Poor, was able to distribute some 370 food packages to affected residents in Region Ten.
Noting that the situation the Region has found itself in was unavoidable, Mr. Mingo said the district has never before experienced this amount of flooding. Among areas affected, he said, are Great falls, Malali and Coomacka.
In light of the flood, which may pose health threats to residents, Government has a surveillance team monitoring the situation in the Region.
Minister Ramsammy said the government is boosting the capacity of the Regional Administration to ensure that there are no outbreaks of diseases. He stated that there are no reported cases and Government wants that to remain.
The Ministry of Health has activated its medivac service and the Linden Hospital has been put on alert.
In addition to resources in Region Ten, other Regions have been alerted to render assistance if necessary. (GINA)