WITH flood reports now coming out of Maria Elizabeth in Region 10, the relevant authorities have begun monitoring the community closely as the rainy season continues.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, Chairman of The Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Deron Adams, said water levels have left the main access road inundated.

“Unfortunately, we have another situation there in Maria Elizabeth, residents would have [sic] reached out to me and said that they are battling floods that are threatening to cut off the community’s main access road. The water has taken over the road,” Adams said.

Given the visible buildup of water on the main access road, he said concerns have been expressed about the level of water in the retaining ponds and the integrity of the dams around those ponds.

“The concern is that the integrity of those dams could possibly break and become compromised. As head of the disaster preparedness committee, I would have [sic] alerted officials from both the Civil Defence Commission [CDC], The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority [NDIA], and BOSAI mining, because they operate in close proximity to that area,” he noted.

In 2021 a tailings pond at the East Montgomery Mine had collapsed, which resulted in severe flooding in Maria Elizabeth and other communities. He noted that some emergency works were done at the time to repair the pond and several dams surrounding the community.

However, according to Adams, these works were a temporary fix and may not be able to withstand the current floods and rainfall the community is experiencing.

Adams noted that the RDC had recommended that urgent attention be paid to reinforcing the dams and finding a lasting engineering solution.

“What is of concern is that we would have [sic] been seeking redress over a year to the various stakeholders because the RDC doesn’t have the capacity. We have been asking that urgent attention be paid to reinforcing the dams, so residents cannot be worried about a breech occurring.”

He said, adding: “While little work was done, the area requires much more work, especially at the dam area.”

Meanwhile, Adams said that the CDC is scheduled to distribute water-purification tablets, hampers, and other assistance to residents in the area.

In the meantime, residents are being urged to maintain vigilance and to adopt the usual protocols to mitigate the effects of the floodwaters, including the various health and safety considerations necessary to ensure their well-being.