WITH the start of the May- June rainy season, residents of Second Phase Wisroc Housing Scheme are battling the erosion of the community’s main access road.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the community, a large section of the corner of the road was already broken away, leading into an already existing gully. With the daily heavy showers, residents are fearful that not only will they lose the road but also under threat, are the lands and homes of those residing in close proximity. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle was Councillor of the Constituency Gary King, who related that the community suffered several brush fires during the recently-concluded dry season. One particular fire was so threatening that the residents were forced to open a main pipeline in the now eroded area to put out the inferno.

The gushing water from the pipe, initially caused the area to become eroded, but this worsened as the rainy season stepped in. “That is what people are afraid of, the erosion is undermining the road and that is the only access road,” King lamented.

He will be visiting the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Orrin Gordon, to solicit urgent assistance to correct the situation. Erosion has been one of the major issues resulting from heavy rains in Linden, given the topography of the Wismar shore, as it is filled with gullies and sandy hills.

In an invited comment, Regional Chairman, Renis Morian, said that he only received reports of erosion occurring on the Linden Soesdyke Highway, in the vicinity of Bamia, but given what has occurred in Wismar communities in the past, the RDC is closely monitoring the situation. That matter was reported to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). He said that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), has been conducting ongoing clearing and other works in the town, throughout the year, in an effort to avoid widespread flooding and erosion during this period.

Meanwhile, relative to the brush fires that occurred during the dry season, Mayor of Linden, Waneka Arrindell, related that over 40 were recorded in a matter of days, 11 occurring on one day alone. To create a better response system so as to avoid residents from doing what they did in Wisroc, as mentioned above, a stakeholder meeting which had present representatives from the Linden Fire Station and E’ Division, the Guyana Water Incorporate, among others, was called to address the issue.

The official reiterated the need for sensitization, to inform residents on the dangers of setting and outing fires irresponsibly. “The fire station was having problems with so much fires, in order for them to get water needed to out most of those, because they would have had to come back to office to get water, so we pulled the two entities together….they decided that if fires are occurring in specific areas, once GWI is informed, they would activate those fire hydrants. Arrindell is looking to collaborate with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to have fire hydrants placed at key locations around the township.