— ministry prepared to allocate additional resources to strengthen flood-response efforts
— Hydromet Dept. predicts continued rainfall in the coming days

ALL the drainage pumps in Georgetown were in operation on Thursday when Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, conducted a site visit in the City to check on their status.

Reports from the Hydromet Department indicated that several villages in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight have been experiencing instances of persistent rainfall with areas in Region Five experiencing up to four inches of rainfall within the last 24 hours.

While speaking with media operatives at the Liliendaal Pump Station, Minister Mustapha said that all of the pumps in Georgetown were fully operable.

“In the City, all 13 pumps are fully operable. I am satisfied that the operators are working and we will continue to monitor them. We have three engineers working on a 24-hour basis monitoring these structures. If there are any issues, we’ll immediately mobilise mechanics to remedy the situation. We’ve been doing this over the past few months and I’ve noticed a major improvement in the way these pumps function,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Mustapha further stated that, given the instances of heavy rainfall experienced across the country, the ministry has been working closely with the regional authorities and is prepared to allocate additional resources to strengthen its flood response efforts should the need arise, a release from the Ministry of Agriculture said.

“We are seeing heavy rainfall right across the country, not only in Georgetown and we are putting systems in place to minimise instances of flooding. We are monitoring the situation and have been working very closely with the regional authorities to see what systems can be put in place to assist residents in these affected areas. We are also allocating additional resources so that we can be able to strengthen our flood response efforts should the need arise. Residents should also take the necessary precautions and desist from disposing of garbage in the alleyways and the drainage canals because it can affect the pumps. Only yesterday (Wednesday) the pump at Cowan Street was affected because garbage got into it,” the minister added.

While speaking on the instances of flooding in certain parts of the country, Minister Mustapha said that additional pumps have been deployed to areas on Corentyne Coast as well as at Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara to ensure extensive flooding does not take place. He added that, so far, there have not been any reports of instances of major flooding in those affected areas.

In its daily weather brief, the ministry’s Hydromet Department stated that Novar, Mahaicony in Region Five recorded some 101.6mm (4.0 inches) of rainfall over the last 24 hours (08:00hrs Wednesday to 08:00hrs Thursday). In Region Four, Ogle and Enmore recorded the highest levels of rainfall for the same period with Ogle recording some 89.2mm and Enmore some 73.4mm of rainfall.

The release noted that, in the coming days, the department predicts that Northern Guyana (Regions 1-8 and 10) is likely to experience cloudy skies with scattered showers and intermittent rainfall. Rainfall is expected to range between 10.0mm to 30.0mm within a 24-hour period.

Taking into consideration the most recent weather report issued by the Hydromet Department, Minister Mustapha said that a visit to the pumps was necessary to ensure the structures were functioning. He said it was important to assess the City’s drainage structures ahead of the forecasted rainy weekend, given the fact that many areas in Georgetown are prone to flooding.

Over the last few weeks, the government has been partnering with the various municipalities, regional officials and private sector representatives to conduct a massive nationwide clean-up campaign. Garbage has, for years, contributed to flooding in many parts of Georgetown and other villages across the Coast.

Minister Mustapha was accompanied by NDIA’s Chairman, Lionel Wordsworth, and NDIA engineer, Lonsdale Edghill.