THE Government, through Cabinet, has approved the release of $75M from the Emergency Fund to effect immediate emergency works on several drainage structures and canals as part of a temporary measure to bring relief to residents in the city of Georgetown and its environs ahead of forecasts of continuing heavy rainfall.This announcement was made by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, during a media conference yesterday at the Ministry’s Kingston office, in the presence of Minister within the Health Ministry, Dr. Karen Cummings and City Mayor Hamilton Green.
The four main priority areas to benefit from the $75M expenditure are Kingstown outfall, Lamaha Street, Sussex Street and Meadow Bank as those are very critical sites to the city drainage. The works are, however, not restricted to those areas and will also see the clearing and desilting of tunnels and internal drains in other critical areas.

HOTLINE NUMBERS

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has established hotline numbers so persons desirous of reporting a clogged drain or canal or any other condition that can lead to flooding can call 227-1316 or 227-2166.
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure was informed yesterday that while there has been a reduction in floodwaters in most areas in Georgetown, some areas immediately outside of the city as well as on the East Coast Demerara still had some amount of water present. Mahaica and Mahaicony, however, up to noon yesterday had a very high percentage of water on the land.
Minister Patterson said Cabinet has also approved the establishment of a multi-disciplinary Task Force which will be looking at the drainage system in the city and its restoration. Earlier this week, the Minister indicated to reporters that the proposal was expected to be put to Cabinet following the flooding caused by several hours of rainfall on Sunday. The Task Force is expected to hit the ground running within the next four to six weeks.
In Georgetown all six pumps are now in working condition but there are works which the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) had to carry out on the discharge pipe for the pump that drains Lamaha Street. Meanwhile, City Hall was up to yesterday effecting works on the Cummings Canal leading to the Muneshwer outfall.
Georgetown has thirteen outfalls leading to the Demerara River but only two are not functioning to their expected capacity and those are the Lamaha Street outfall, which needs work on its discharge pipe, and the Meadow Bank south outfall, which is to be cleared since it has not been operating for some time.

The Task Force will include persons from all the relevant agencies, including the Ministries of Communities and Agriculture and the Georgetown City Council. In addition, there will be economists, lawyers and other stakeholders making up the body once the terms of reference have been established.
Minister Patterson said the legal framework has to be looked at in terms of reference of the Task Force and so the Guyana Bar Association will also be involved. He pointed to the issue of various Acts, including those that address sewage, utilities, the municipality, heritage sites, green spaces and the Sea Defence Act, among others.
A cost was not given for the works done so far to address the issue of flooding over the past few days nor was there a figure confirmed for the work of the taskforce. However, the Minister said that with respect to the Task Force, a map of the drainage and sewerage network of the city will have to be looked at and examined.
TOUGH DECISIONS
Media operatives were told that the Task Force will determine the level of consultations while pointing out that some tough social and political decisions would have to be made, in instances of encumbrances and homesteads that may be required to be relocated.
To this end, the Task Force will be creating a social media presence and website to keep persons informed of the developments so that citizens are not caught by surprise with respect to works being planned or to be executed by the Task Force as they will be called upon to co-operate fully.

FORENSIC AUDIT
Asked to comment on the extent of works that had to be done just a few months after the previous PPP/C Government would have spent some $500M to clean-up the city, including many of the works being done currently by the new Government, Minister Patterson said Cabinet has ordered a forensic audit and when that is completed the nation will know where their $500M went.
He further stated that at present “this is our responsibility now and it’s our baby; malnourished, deformed or whatever it is. How it got so is a question for the forensic auditors and we are here to nourish it back, so where your $500M went, I cannot say.”

By Leroy Smith