—-City Council working with NDIA to fix it quickly

THE drainage pump at Lamaha Street, on Wednesday morning, developed issues, with city officials working on the assumption that garbage or a piece of wood entered the impeller, causing hydraulic leak.

City Engineer Colvern Venture told Guyana Chronicle that while they are not yet sure of the severity of the damage, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is working in close collaboration with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) of the Ministry of Agriculture to have the problem fixed quickly.

Venture offered that even before the current rainy season, the NDIA has been working closely with the City Council, providing support in the clearance of main water channels. “We started working closely since 2019 and the assistance has continued into 2020. At the moment, we are hoping for the best and for no other major developments,” Venture said.

In the meantime, though, he said the Cowan Street canal will assist in draining areas that were normally drained by the Lamaha Street pump. Venture noted that the cost for hydraulic oil is very expensive, which can cost the City Council as much as $3M. “Whenever we have debris stuck in the pump foot, it damages the seal. And as long as the oil is leaked, we can’t use it back because it is contaminated with water. So whenever we have impediments in the pump foot, we have to replace the oil. Plastic bags for one are very challenging to us once they get into the pump foot,” Venture had explained.

The City Council had often complained that issues are encountered at some of the pump locations because the canals that run alongside them cannot be efficiently cleaned. This is because persons are continuing to live on city reserves. These residents, according to the Council, continue to dump garbage in the canals.

Councillors had, in the past, suggested that the City Council look at acquiring more pumps, which can serve as backup pumps in an emergency. The Engineers had said that most of the problems encountered with drainage in the city spring from littering and from the way residents dispose of their bulk waste. As a result, the inappropriate disposal of garbage negatively affects the pumps.

“Be careful where you throw your garbage; please don’t throw it in the alleyways. This causes a lot of stress on my department. When the pumps are on, they pull a lot of water and pull the garbage same time, which also damages the pumps and causes them to shut down,” Deputy City Engineer, Kenson Boston, had pleaded.