– urged to desist from dumping garbage which block pumps

CITY Engineer, Mr. Colvern Venture, has appealed to residents to be watchdogs in their respective communities, in light of the continued wanton disposal of garbage by some people, that sometimes make its way into drains and impede the free flow of water from the land, whenever it rains heavily.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, after visiting several wards that were under water due to heavy showers that began in the wee hours, Venture lamented the challenges he and staff face, in particular when it rains heavily and wards are flooded.

Alluding to the situation yesterday, Venture said, with several areas under water yesterday, it was unsettling to see the kind of stuff that his workers had to clear from the vicinity of the drainage pumps. “These equipment are put there to help drain water off the land at such crucial times, and when garbage is sucked into it, it not only lessens time the water takes to drain off the land, but sometimes the equipment is damaged,” he added.

On Monday, at the Kitty and Liliendaal pump sites, workers were tasked with removing a television set, two tyres, one,complete with rim, buckets, bowls, plastic and coconut shells, that were discarded in immediate area leading to the mouth of the pump, Venture said.

And, with the force with which the water was moving, the items could have easily been sucked into the pumps and cause irreparable damage, he explained.

He said that although the workers are equipped with safety gear, there are times when, in particular, the work entails the clearing of sluices, it most times presents a challenge and a serious health hazard, due to the unhealthy state of the area.

Noting, it is understandable that residents pay taxes and it is the duty of the City Council to dispose of the garbage which is accumulated in the respective wards, Venture pointed out, however, there is need for residents to come on board and assist the council in keeping their community clean.

“Be watchdogs for your community, we need the cooperation of citizens in helping to keep the communities clean, don’t allow people to dump garbage and compromise your drainage system, report any illegal activity in your area,” he urged.

On this note, the city engineer commended the recent clean-up exercise that was spearheaded by some councillors with residents that targeted Stabroek, Wortmanville, Werk-en-Rust and the Newburg communities, adding, if residents show an effort, the council will, even with the limited resources they have, see how they can assist.
Recently, on social media, a video that was circulated showing a physically-challenged male resident cleaning his surroundings, received rave reviews.

HEAVY downpours, starting during the wee hours, welcomed July, the seventh month in 2019, with several areas in Georgetown and around the city being inundated with water by daybreak.

Among the main thoroughfares that were observed covered with flood water were Mandela Avenue, between the GWI pump station and Alexander Street; Haley Street; East Ruimveldt, South Ruimveldt and West Ruimveldt.

The Hydrometeorological Service of the Ministry of Agriculture had put the public on notice for such a situation, in its forecast for Monday, which noted that frequent showers and thundershowers, overcast skies and rainfall measuring between 30.0 and 60.0 mm (millimetres), were expected.

For Tuesday, July 2, the prediction was that there would have been light showers with rainfall expected between 5.0 and 15.0 mm, along with partly cloudy to cloudy skies.

Contacted yesterday afternoon for an update on the situation, City Council’s Chief Engineer, Colvern Venture, who along with staff had conducted on-the-spot visits, reported that wards such as East and West Ruimveldt, Tucville , High Street, Werk-en-Rust and South Ruimveldt, the flood water was “very high”, with some lower flat dwellings being affected.

According to him, the sluices were open since early, but with the heavy rainfall that resulted in some three inches of water accumulating on the ground, the water was slow in receding. He, nevertheless, expected some better results this morning.

Noting that up to late yesterday, workers and a machine were still engaged in clearing away debris, Venture again pleaded with citizens to desist from wantonly disposing of their garbage in the waterways. He explained that, while the debris do not have to be physically dumped in the vicinity of the drainage pumps, with the force of the water pull when the pump is in operation, the debris eventually makes it way and is sucked into passage and the pump itself, resulting in damage to vital parts. “It is the down time to have the damaged part/s repaired or sourced for replacement, that is crucial,” he added.

Venture said too, the flooding occurred although the council, cognisant of the traditional May/June rainy season, could have been observed taking preventative measures by constantly clearing drains, parapets and canals of overgrowth, particularly in flood-prone wards.

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) that functions as Guyana’s apex organization, dealing with all public matters pertaining to management, improvement, extension and provision of drainage, irrigation and flood control infrastructure and services in declared areas of the country, also reported that all drainage pumps were functioning as expected, yesterday.