…Region 10 disaster risk management committee without funds

LAST September, the Regional Democratic Council of Region 10, established a Disaster Risk Management Committee, with the aim of mitigating the risks associated with impromptu disasters, as well as, to provide the necessary aid in the eventuality of a flood-related disaster; much of which occurred in Region 10 last year. With the occurrence of the Kwakwani flood, the committee however was not able to play its role in lending assistance in any way to the flood-affected residents.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian said that the reason for its inability to provide needed assistance is the lack of funding. While the members and all systems have been put in place along with a command centre, the committee remains null and void at present with no money to put its mission into action.

The various stakeholders that are part of the committee include the electricity companies; Guyana Water Incorporated; regional representatives for central, local and neighbourhood government; Bosai Minerals Incorporative; the Guyana Police Force and Fire Service; Social Services and Linden Chamber of Commerce Education and Health. These are further broken up into sub committees; namely: Agriculture and Sustainable Livelihood; Fire, Security and Electricity; Women, Education and Social Services and Communication and Health.

Morian said that he is hoping that next year, as the 2019 May/June rains approaches, this may not be the case. “We are hoping that in next year’s budget there is funding, but there is no funding right now. We are putting it in the Plan of Action for Regional Development (PARD) and we are going to put that in our budget in 2019.

Officials on Monday aired their concerns over the RDC not being able to play an integral role in bringing assistance to the residents, while referencing the committee’s inability to fulfill its mission. “I am totally fed up of the rhetoric, it is like everything in this place is a talk show, talk, talk, talk and no action,” an official said under anonymity. Regional representatives, including Regional Vice Chairman Elroy Adolph, were however, part of the task force led by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) that visited Kwakwani last Friday, to assess the situation.

WATER CONTINUES TO RECEDE
Meanwhile, reports coming out of Kwakwani on Monday indicated that the water level continues to recede. It has reportedly receded some 7-8 inches. The CDC is expected to transport millions of dollars in food and cleaning supplies to the residents. This will aid in boosting food security which was significantly threatened with the farms being completely inundated. The cleaning agents will also assist as the flooding posed environmental health issues. The communities that are directly affected: Waterfront, Lamp Island, Aroaima and Ginger Island, are located in proximity to the Upper Berbice River that borders Kwakwani. Approximately 300 households have been affected by the flooding which started some two weeks ago.