THE Mahdia Town Council is working to ensure that an area in the town, which has been set-aside for the relocation of residents affected by the recent flooding, will be ready for the construction of new dwellings in the next few months.

Mahdia’s Mayor, David Adams, told the Guyana Chronicle that the plan is being pursued by the council and will see residents being relocated to an area close to the airstrip.
Adams said that he, along with Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, and Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, met with the affected residents recently to discuss the situation.

While describing the move as a priority, Adams said that the council has already received applications from affected residents for lands at the identified relocation area. He said that the allocation of the house lots will be done in two months time and the town council will have to meet and agree on the plan. Adams said that the issue will be discussed at next month’s statutory meeting.

He said 14 families were affected by the flash flooding caused by persistent rainfall last Thursday and the affected areas are low-lying lands between the Danjou Hill area and the Seven Mile area.

Adams said that the residents living in those areas are no strangers to flooding since they were warned before by the regional authorities that the area where they reside is flood-prone and that they should not occupy the lands there. “These things are seasonal,” he said of the rains, as he noted that once it rains heavily, the area will see an accumulation of water.

As regards works which can be done to alleviate the situation should it reoccur, the mayor noted that the government is expected to undertake works to a nearby creek. He said siltation of the creek will not curb flooding but will provide a means for the water to flow freely whenever there is heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, beverage giant, Banks DIH Limited, has joined in the relief effort to assist residents of the town who were affected by flooding.
In a release issued on Thursday, the company said that it made a donation of Rain Forest bottled water to the residents of the community following the intervention of Ms. SherryAnn Balkaran, the reigning Indigenous Heritage Queen.
Ms. Balkaran reported that infants and adults are at risk of water-borne diseases due to pollution of the community’s main water source.

She expressed gratitude to the company on behalf of the residents of Mahdia, Guyana’s newest township, for its urgent response to the relief effort.

Communications Manager Mr. Troy Peters said that Banks DIH Limited was very concerned about the situation regarding the affected residents and immediately responded. The bottled water was air-dashed to Mahdia on Thursday following a brief handing over at Thirst Park.

Mr. Clive Pellew, Waters Brand Manager, made the presentation to Ms. Serena McKenzie, who represented Ms. Balkaran in the presence of Mr. Gavin Jodhan, Branches Controller.