Relief supplies dispatched to flood-affected Mahdia
Relief supplies being packed to be taken to Mahdia, Region Eight, for distribution to flood-affected households (CDC Photo)
Relief supplies being packed to be taken to Mahdia, Region Eight, for distribution to flood-affected households (CDC Photo)

THE Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has dispatched a quantity of relief supplies to Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), where heavy rainfall has resulted in severe flooding.

Director-General (ag) of the CDC, Major Loring Benons, told the Guyana Chronicle that the CDC is working along with the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to deliver the supplies which range from food items to detergent and other cleaning supplies.

“The situation was reported directly to me by the Minister of Amerindian Affairs [Pauline Sukhai]. She is currently putting systems in place to actually go to Region Eight and, as such, on the flight that will be going to Region Eight today [Tuesday], some relief supplies will be sent, enough to reach all the households in the affected area,” Major Benons said on Tuesday.

He added: “As we speak, the minister just sent me a message about the approval of the flight for today, so our supplies are already at Ogle [Airport] to be boarded. We’re sending food and cleaning and sanitation hampers. That’s the intervention we are currently working on until the minister gets on the ground and if there’s any other intervention she will tell us if they need anything further.”

Relief supplies being packed to be taken to Mahdia, Region Eight, for distribution to flood-affected households (CDC Photo)

According to available statistics, approximately 20 households were affected by the situation in Mahdia, where as much as three feet of water was registered in some areas.

Major Benons noted that the flooding was specific to an area which is a “valley community,” and as such, it would continually experience unavoidable flooding from time to time, given the low lying state of the locale.

Mayor of Mahdia, David Adams, in a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle, related that he was in Georgetown, when he got reports of the flooding. However, he too said that due to the nature of the community, the flooding was unavoidable.

“It had heavy rains last night [Monday] into this morning and it’s an area in Mahdia that when it rains like that the valley just becomes flooded out, it will last for a few hours until the water runs off. There is hardly anything you can do to stop it because the water keeps coming down there, it’s a valley,” Adams related.

He added: “Once the rain stops falling it runs off very quickly. But the flooding doesn’t happen regularly, it’s not an area that floods out regularly, sometimes its once a year. The last time this happen was around 2018, this is only happening because of the May/June rains.”

The Mayor noted there were attempts to get the residents to relocate from the area, but this proved futile as the residents were firm on their decision to remain and deal with any flooding that comes.
“It’s a few residents that are occupying the low lands there; we did try to give them house lots on higher ground and advised them to occupy it, and they refused to do so,” Adams said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.