THE Ministry of Agriculture, on Monday, teamed up with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to distribute hampers to the flood-affected residents of Little Diamond, on the East Bank of Demerara.

The exercise was a follow-up to a previous visit by Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, who had committed to rolling out interventions to combat the effects of flooding on the residents.

Some 300 cleaning hampers were distributed among the residents to assist with the clean-up process following the flood.

Minister Mustapha said those efforts came on the heels of the installation of several pumps in the affected communities to strengthen the drainage system.

“I said that we would put systems in place and I’m very happy to see that the water has drained out considerably. There is no water in the gutter today either. I’m hoping that we can keep the area like this.

“We are looking to manage the system. We are making the necessary effort to put systems in place so that we can mitigate the flooding,” Minister Mustapha said.
He also noted that regular monitoring of those areas will continue.

Residents expressed appreciation to the government for the support. One person, Denis Prashad, said the cleaning items in the hamper will assist with disinfecting his home.

“I think the government is doing a very good job… I must thank them very much. This will help me because the smell of the water affects me greatly,” he related.

Another resident, Sorendra Bansraj, said the installation of the new pump has helped significantly with drainage of the community.

“Now, when the koker closes, the pump will keep running. So, it is much better right now,” he added. (DPI)