HOURS of persistent rainfall with high winds throughout the city and neighbouring

communities resulted in flooding in some areas on Tuesday, but the floodwaters quickly

receded.
Albouystown, Charlestown, La Penitence, East, North and South Ruimveldt were among the flood-prone communities affected. Andre Quallis of Middle Road La Penitence, told the Guyana Chronicle that he had to safeguard his household articles after the floodwaters started entering his house.

“I am coping the best way I know. It is not the president’s fault, because he can’t stop the rain from falling, but we all know Georgetown is sinking so the slightest rain would cause a flooding,” Quallis said.
When this newspaper visited James and Hunter Streets, Albouystown, the flood- waters had covered the thoroughfares and sections of other streets, but many of the yards and houses were not flooded compared to the last flood that occurred two days before Christmas.

Assistant City Engineer Kenson Boston, who is responsible for drainage and irrigation, told the Guyana Chronicle that all systems are in place to ensure the floodwaters quickly recede off the land as the city gears up for more wet days.

At the time of the interview (15:00h), all of the 10 sluice doors under the purview of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, were opened. It was noted that during the high tide, the doors will be closed and the 11 pumps currently being operated by the Council will be switched on.
“We would have visited Albouystown, Charlestown, the whole of plantation Ruimveldt and behind Lamaha Springs – most of the low-lying areas…the situation has improved compared to the 23rd December, because the tide is now on our side, so the water is receding faster,” the Assistant City Engineer explained.

He said while the Council, with the use of the sluices and pumps, is managing to drain the water off the land at a faster rate, there is much concern about the rainy days ahead.
“We are expecting some more rainfall, so we are asking members of the public to just bear with us,” Boston said, while reiterating that the Council is working expeditiously to drain the water off of the land.
To better the situation, Boston said, residents should desist from littering and the indiscriminate dumping of waste.

“We are appealing to residents to dispose of their garbage properly, because that is one of our main problems,” he said, while explaining that the plastics, papers, bottles and other obstacles that are normally thrown in the canals very often result in blockages, affecting even the sluices and pumps.
In addition to the indiscriminate dumping of garbage, Boston noted too that some persons are in the habit of building concrete structures across drains,thereby obstructing the free flow of water.

The City Engineer Colvern Venture explained that during the Christmas season, three pumps were down for short periods because debris had come into contact with critical parts of the pumps.
He further explained that the City Council manages 10 sluices aand nine pumps, five mechanically operated and four electrically operated; however, the Agriculture Ministry and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure have loaned the Council two additional pumps that have been placed at Sussex Street, and the sluice at Muneshwer.
He said prior to the heavy downpour which was coupled with extreme high tides resulting in severe flooding on December 23, the pump at Lamaha Street had encountered technical problems.

“When we took the pump foot out, there was a wood stuck in the impeller, so it restricted the impeller from actually propelling. We got it fixed the same day (December 23), but it went down the very next day because it was leaking hydraulic oil,” Venture further explained.
The Riverview pump, which was also experiencing technical problems on December 23 because debris had gotten into contact with the propeller, was also repaired; however, the Princes Street pump started to experience similar problems.

“However, we were able to complete all of the work on Old Year’s Day, so we broke the new year with all the pumps in operation,” Venture said.
The cost to repair the pumps, the City Engineer, noted was in the millions. “The cost of the hydraulic oil is very expensive, so every time a pump goes down because of contact with debris and garbage in the canal, it is costing us a great lot of money to repair the pumps,” he noted.

According to him, approximately 95 per cent of the pumps operated by the City Council experience technical problems as a result of debris.
According to the Hydromet Department, light to moderate showers are expected within the next couple of days.