–Mayor assures flood-hit city residents of early relief

CITY Mayor Patricia Chase-Green on Monday assured flood-weary Georgetown residents that the Mayor & City Council is doing everything it possibly can to bring them relief from the accumulation of water occasioned by Sunday evening’s long and sustained rains.

She told them during a walkabout on Monday morning that every effort is being made by the M&CC to pull off the flood waters as early as possible, and that so far, they have succeeded in doing so in such areas as Regent Street.

She also reported that engineers will be on the ground working round-the-clock, checking out the various areas, but was asking residents to ensure that they put away their household items as high as possible.

She, however, explained that the sudden inundation we’ve been experiencing of late as soon as it rains is no-one’s fault, as it is one of the adverse effects of climate change which is also affecting other parts of the world, causing flash floods and sudden high tides.

She noted that such an “extremely high tide” has not occurred in Guyana for the past two years, but assured residents that the majority of the city’s pumps are working well.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Chronicle visited a number of affected residential areas in Georgetown, and the rallying call was for the authorities to do their job; that systems be put in place to ensure that the drains and alleyways are kept clean at all times.

One Light Street, Alberttown resident, who gave her name as Wendy, said that although she does her best to keep the drains in front of her premise clean, other residents who do not follow suit cause her efforts to be pointless.

As such, the area is in a constant state of being flooded despite good weather.
“The rain just has to drizzle and we get flood. If the sun is hot, we still get flood, the water never drains in this particular block,” she explained, adding:

“All we are asking is for the government to come and clean the drains so that the water can drain off. I does pay to weed and clean out there, but I can only clean my part.
“And it doesn’t make any sense cleaning just my part when all the water keeps running down all the time.”

And when the make-shift bridge at the front of her yard began floating away after becoming loose by the constant waters, she said she was forced to build another.
Wendy has been residing at the premises for over 30 years, and says the situation not only affects her but her children as well.

“I have a daughter and a little boy upstairs. My daughter had to stay home today, and because of this, she has been absent a lot from school last year and the year before, every time the rain comes down,” she said.
Another resident in the same street who owns a Bolt-and-Hose business has taken it upon himself to combat the situation by installing pumps which drain the water as it enters his business.

“As soon as it comes in, it goes in the ground in the pump and it goes back out… This area floods all the time; we got accustomed to it now, so we go out and meet our customers,” he said.

He, too, is calling on the M&CC to look into the matter, because if the flooding becomes more persistent, his pumps may not be able to withstand the pressure.
Meanwhile, on Fourth Street, Alberttown, an elderly resident told this newspaper that he is unable to leave his house as he pleases due to the downpour.

Mirroring previous remarks, he indicated that a lack of proper drainage in the community is the biggest issue.

“This happens when there is a lot of rain; at least I think the drain needs a little cleaning because as long as the tide is high, you would get flooding. But if the tide goes down, the water goes down,” he said.

Mayor Chase-Green cautioned residents that blocked drains are a strain on the city’s drainage system and persons are therefore being reminded to play their part by keeping their drains clean.