-NDC chairman blames it on dam breach, unattended kokers

CRITICAL changes are needed within the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), if they are to provide sound technical advice and service to the people of Guyana, Geotechnical and Groundwater Hydrology Engineer, Charles Ceres has said.According to him, the fact that Buxton, on the East Coast of Demerara, is still flooded is a confirmation of the absence of technical competence within both the Agriculture Ministry and the NDIA.

Ceres said it is common knowledge that Buxton was the last community in Guyana to become flood free after the Great Flood of 2005. “Both the NDIA and the Ministry of Agriculture are further aware and refer to Buxton as being situated in a “basin”. In spite of these facts the NDIA and Ministry of Agriculture continue to treat this as a non-issue for a reliable and appropriate response,” the engineer lamented.

The Ministry of Agriculture through the NDIA proposes, under the Flood Risk Management Project, to construct pump stations at Lusignan, Enmore and Buxton on the East Coast Demerara, however, Buxton would have least capacity when compared to the other two villages.

“There were no areas, currently flooded, within either Lusignan and/or Enmore at the exact time that Buxton remains (under) water. In spite of this, the NDIA and the “wise men” within the Ministry of Agriculture see it fit to build pump stations in Enmore and Lusignan which will provide twice the capacity of the pump station in Buxton,” the Engineer said.

According to information emanating out of NDIA, the pump stations at Enmore and Lusignan will be equipped with two pumps each while the station at Buxton will have only one pump.

“Lusignan and Enmore, both not currently flooded or known to be flood prone, will be provided with twice the pumping capacity in the form of two pumps, as compared to one pump for Buxton which is now flooded and established to be flood prone. This coupled with several other flawed designs by the NDIA is evidence of the absence of engineering and technical capacity within both the Ministry of Agriculture and NDIA,” he emphasised.

For him, it is time for the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government take the necessary actions.

“The more alarming concern however is the continued inability of the APNU/AFC coalition government to acknowledge that changes are mandatory at the Ministry of Agriculture and the NDIA if this entity is to provide sound technical advice and service to the people of Guyana,” Ceres further stated.

According to him, the ill-conceived and technically indefensible solution to the drainage problem of Buxton, proposed by the NDIA, was brought to the attention of several senior members of the APNU/AFC coalition. However, these officials are still to request that the design be altered to reflect the situational realities.

“The NDIA and Ministry of Agriculture will continue their reign of unbridled incompetence if not reined in by the powers that be. This unbridled incompetence is reflected in the inability of drainage infrastructure to satisfactorily respond to rainfall and impacts on the development costs to the country since resources must be expended to correct flaws in projects executed by the NDIA such as the failed approaches to the Hope Bridge,” the engineer further contended.

Over the past week, Buxton has been inundated with water, however, the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairman Deon Abrams, on Monday told Guyana Chronicle that the water has receded significantly since swift actions were taken on Sunday.

According to him, sections of Buxton were flooded because the doors of two krokers were left opened. Abrams noted that the situation was further compounded by a breach in the East Sideline Dam.

It was explained that as a result of the breach, water from the Company Dam flowed into the East Sideline Dam resulting in Buxton being flooded. However, the breach, Abrams said, was sealed on Sunday. Additionally, the two pumps operating within the village was complemented by a third pump brought in by NDIA.

“The water has receded, maybe, there is a little bit of water at the back of the village, but the water has generally receded,” the NDC Chairman assured.
Commenting on the issue surrounding the pumps, Abrams said while there are two pumps operating within the Buxton Pump Station, they have been there since 1927. “They are very old,” he emphasized while noting that their capacities have reduced.

The new pump proposed under the Flood Risk Management Project is expected to boost the capacity of the pump station but Ceres has expressed concerns about this proposal.