–President Ali says, after finding pump attendants asleep, sluice doors closed, pumps off

EMPIRICAL data shows that Guyana’s Capital, Georgetown, has long been prone to flooding, especially during the rainy seasons And while it is no different this time around, efforts by the government to mitigate the impact of the natural disaster are being affected by what the President, Dr. Irfaan Ali referred to as ‘irresponsibility’ on the part of some city workers directly involved in the management of pumps and sluices.

In an impromptu visit to several pump stations across Georgetown and on the outskirts of the city late Sunday evening, President Ali, who was accompanied by Board Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth found pump attendants sleeping, sluice doors closed, and pumps switched off.

Particularly in Georgetown, an area managed primarily by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), the President observed that although systems were in place and instructions were given for pumps to work continually, attendants were sleeping and being negligent.
Early in the day on Sunday, the Guyana Chronicle reported that citizens of Georgetown, after leaving their beds, were greeted with floods due to the delay in the opening of sluices and the improper disposal of garbage around the city.

“In the wee hours of this (Sunday) morning when the pumps should have been operable, pump attendants were sleeping, and did not put on the pumps, which led to accumulation of water in various sections, which would have seen the bottom flats of some houses having water inside. And this is mainly in the south of Georgetown,” Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill had said.
The very night, when President Ali visited the pump stations, he observed exactly what Minister Edghill had referred to.

At the Riverview pump station, which is a major conduit for the flow of water out of the city, the Head of State found that the koker doors were closed, and the worker was sound asleep. This was also the case at Lombard Street, where the pump attendant attempted to defend his decision to not switch on the pump and open the sluice door.

In a video circulating on social media, President Ali, after the inspection at Riverview, could be heard saying: “This is what we are talking about. I came out here myself to verify tonight, the pump is turned off; the main pump to drain the city is turned off. We said the pump must be on 24/7… [they] turned off the pump and did not open the koker… This is the main pump to drain the City.

“We have to deal with heavy rainfall, we have to deal with negligence and irresponsibility… come to find this.”
Over at the Kitty pump station, two of the city’s most important pumps were inactive. And President Ali, evidently perturbed by the situation, enquired why the pumps were not turned on.
The attendant, in response, tried to defend his actions, but it was clear to the Head of State that there was some level of negligence.

When asked about the situation, the President said: “The situation speaks for itself; we can invest as much as we want, but it will be of no benefit if we do not have responsibility in the system.”

SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL
Further, he related: “Issues of national emergency and natural disasters have nothing to do with politics; everyone has to put their shoulder to the wheel and get this done… Only today (Sunday) you heard statements being made about pumps being turned on and off, and we are seeing the same.”

Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine had denied claims that City Hall was deliberately hampering efforts to mitigate flooding in the City.
City Engineer Colvern Venture, during a press conference on Monday, said, too, that City Hall is not responsible for flooding in the City. His contention was that there was no way for flooding in Georgetown to be averted, given the torrential rainfall and other factors.

He went on to say that although it could not be avoided, the City Council had implemented systems to mitigate the impact of flooding.
Contrary to Venture’s claims, the President’s visit proved that there were shortcomings in the system, especially with the management of sluices and pumps in the City.
“People have to be held responsible; there must be consequences for your action. And unless we are prepared to hold people responsible, we will not see the full benefits of the investments. And at the end of the day, people suffer,” President Ali said.

He added that ministers and other officials have fanned out across the country to not just assess the situation, but also to assist with relief efforts. This includes navigating dangerous conditions to deliver requisite assistance.

“This has to be a national emergency; it cannot be a national irresponsibility. The mayor came out and blamed the government, and we made it clear that the government made investments; you have fuel and everything, and the pumps are turned off,” President Ali lamented.

Some of the pump attendants could be heard agreeing that fuel and other pertinent materials are in place to efficiently operate the pumps and sluices.
The negligence was observed although the National Weather Watch Centre advised on Sunday that coastal regions will likely experience cloudy to overcast skies, with scattered showers of varying intensities, and frequent rain.

It was also reported that “thundershowers” were also likely to be experienced over these areas. Rainfall was expected to range between one inch and three inches within a 24-hour period.
It is also common knowledge that there are two rainy seasons locally, from December to early February, and from late April to mid-August.

According to the World Climate Guide, both duration and intensity of rainfall vary depending on area, but the period May-August is very rainy everywhere.
Considering the known intensity of rainfall that is common around this time, it is expected that all systems should be operational.

And while there was some level of negligence at various parts of the city, the President observed that the pump at Meadow Bank was operational, and that the pump attendant at the Central Georgetown drainage pump was opening the sluice door, and both the Lamaha Street and Kingston pumps were operational.

The situation was the same at the Liliendaal Pump Station, where both pumps were working. The pump attendant there said the pump was running for over 24 hours.