WITH the rains projected to last throughout this week, the National Taskforce on Flooding, led by Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips remains on high alert and several agencies have already sprung into preventive and responsive action.

A press release issued by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Saturday night indicated that earlier in the day, the task force met to ensure that all steps are in place to proactively manage the current rainy season.

“The Hydrometeorological Service, through the Ministry of Agriculture, indicated that we are experiencing the La Nina phase of weather [wet season], but so far all systems are operational to ensure that residents are not significantly affected by the rains and inundation,” the statement noted.

Already, high levels of rainfall have been recorded over the past two weeks, kick-starting efforts by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), which is currently working assiduously to ensure that impacts on households and farmlands are minimized.

“Farms in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) have been assessed, where it was determined that some crops have been damaged due to [sic] floodwaters and the Agriculture Ministry is working with those farmers to alleviate the issue,” the statement said.

The CDC said that they have received reports of affected households along the coastland but drainage machinery in those areas remain operational, resulting in most of the water receding drastically.

Those areas, according to the CDC, include, but are not limited to, Annandale/Riverstown of Region Two; Wakenaam, Leguan and the Canals Polder of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara; Plaisance, La Bonne Intention and Buxton of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); and Moraikobai Village of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
“In some of these areas, excavators and pumps are working consistently to ensure the water levels decrease. Additionally, Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) workers are mobilized and are assisting Regional Authorities in several locations,” the CDC posited.

The commission said that it is also working closely with the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) across Guyana to provide requisite support to residents within their respective jurisdictions.

The taskforce on flooding was mobilized following the unprecedented floods of May-June 2021, which affected more than 50,000 households across 300 villages all across the country.

In some cases, water levels had reached as much as 16 feet and many Guyanese, with the help of government’s $7.8 flood-relief programme, are still working to rebuild their lives and return to their farmlands, thousands of acres of which were completely destroyed.

Going forward, Guyanese are encouraged to remain vigilant and report impacts to local authorities or the National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) on 600-7500 or 226-1114 at any time.