MAYOR of Georgetown, Mr. Hamilton Green has assured that City Hall will do whatever possible to control flooding in the capital in the face of the upcoming May/June rains.
However, he said, at this time, there has not been enough financial support and resources to do everything. Addressing the media at a briefing last Friday, Green said, although there are many challenges, the flood situation will be dealt with and “necessary” measures will be taken to avoid and control it during the rainy season.
He added that the Georgetown Restoration Project will help the situation in time to come as the programme entails certain safety drainage methods, as well.
Green said, further, that, in Guyana’s history, there have been monumental mistakes which have hampered the drainage.
According to him, the canals that were carefully constructed by the Dutch in the past should never have been filled up, for example, Independence Boulevard in Albouystown, which was nicely designed to accommodate excess water.   

Main reason
He said the main reason for flooding is because those waterways, that were constructed to cope during heavy rainfall and even serve as reservoirs, no longer exist.
Green said the canals would have taken the water from land to below, then into the river and seeing that they were big, had the capacity to hold more than enough.
He said, when the Dutch designed certain things in the city, it was a perfect place until tampered with by persons who felt that there was no need for the Dutch architectural skills and knowledge.
Green declared that, when there is heavy rainfall in the city, the simplest solution is to find more space for the water to flow.
Although describing the finding of space as a monumental task, he, nevertheless, advised that residents take their regular precautionary measures while City Hall does as is necessary to avoid flooding in the rainy season.