Dear Editor,
THERE is a press release attributed to the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown appearing in the local media recently, with regard to the recent flooding in Georgetown that was either a clear attempt to mislead citizens or was authored by someone completely lacking knowledge of Meteorology, Geography and more specifically, coastal flooding.Contained in this press release was that the city was monitoring overtopping in different sections of the city and that the overtopping is due to the coincidence of heavy rains and high tides. The word overtopping which is defined as ‘the rising of water over the top of a barrier’ is being misused by the author of this release or is a feeble attempt to downplay the seriousness and the effects of Friday’s weather phenomenon.
What occurred was plain and simple ‘flooding’ which occurs most commonly in Guyana and particularly in Georgetown from heavy rainfall when the natural watercourses (our network of drains) do not have the capacity to convey the excess water out into the river or elsewhere. Everyone is aware that the city is below the high tide and depends on a system of sluices and pumps for drainage and that is why it was disappointing to learn that at least two of the five hydro flow pumps along the Demerara River were inoperable. Someone should be severely sanctioned for this, if for nothing more that the damage done to stock, furnishing etcetera in the lower flats of homes and ground-floor business operations.
It is the responsibility of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown as it is the duty of municipalities all over the world to ensure by whatever means necessary that our drains, canals and waterways are free from garbage and other things that could restrict their capacity to hold storm water and reduce the flow through our outfall channels.
It is egregious that the Council doled out approximately seven hundred million or three quarters of a billion dollars, most of which went to one contractor on drainage works over the last 18 months and yet the drainage system is still far from what should be or what it used to be years ago, when it was maintained years ago by municipal workers at a fraction of that cost.
Mismanagement, corruption, nepotism and a lack of accountability are causing one disaster after another in the city. It is time for the City Council to be honest and straightforward with us, and not attempt through the use of fancy terms which they don’t understand, or through lame excuses, try to pull the wool over the eyes of citizens.
Regards
Mark Roopan