-says gov’t is prepared to work with all stakeholders to improve town

PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, and the Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, convened a critical meeting with stakeholders from the town of Linden to address the urgent issues of flooding and long-term drainage planning on Friday at the Office of the Prime Minister.

The meeting, which was chaired by the Prime Minister, had a cross-section of representatives, including Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud; representatives from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC); National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA); Regional Democratic Council’s REO Mr Dwight John; Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira; Town Clerk Lennox Gasper, representatives from Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc and Linden Electricity Company Incorporated (LECI).

The primary agenda at the meeting revolved around immediate, medium, and long-term flood-mitigation for the town. The Linden delegation also highlighted on-going challenges in several areas that require urgent attention.

Prime Minister Phillips addressed these concerns directly, emphasising the importance of a comprehensive approach.

He said that the government is concerned about the impacts of the flood on the people of Linden and is “prepared to continue meeting because we are interested in the actions taken and are monitoring the progress and we know we will have to take additional actions as we identify all things that need to be done and we will get it done. We know that we have to meet and we will continue to meet with you the stakeholders.”

Among the actions discussed were flood investigation and site assessments, which will be conducted by a team of engineers from the Ministry of Public Works’ Special Projects Unit, NDIA, and other relevant stakeholders.

Mr Figueira will lead a flood investigation assessment in Linden today. Additionally, the team will visit flood-prone areas identified during the meeting to determine immediate action steps.
In terms of drainage and irrigation upgrades, it was agreed that specific areas in Linden, such as Five Corner, would receive priority attention. Drainage improvements including clearing clogged culverts and converting mud drains into concrete structures will be addressed before the next rainy season.

Prime Minister Phillips and Minister Edghill also discussed infrastructure enhancements such as expanding and rebuilding critical culverts expected to increase capacity and mitigate future flooding. Additionally, dredging works in key areas will be initiated to improve water flow.

Furthermore, the development of a Garbage Disposal and Waste Management Plan was discussed. This plan will focus on enhancing waste collection services and promoting environmental responsibility within the community, given that effective waste management is crucial in preventing drainage blockages.
The Prime Minister also emphasised the government’s commitment to collaborate with local stakeholders to modernise Linden’s drainage systems and enhance its resilience against future flooding.

He remarked that achieving these goals requires a collective effort from all stakeholders, while expressing his intention to continue engaging with the notably absent Mayor of Linden, Mr Sharma Solomon and Regional Chair, Mr Deron Adams.

He stated “If we are talking about on-going development, we the government are all for it but we impress upon the town’s leadership that we still feel that they should be part of the meeting. The government is prepared to work with all the stakeholders to improve Linden and deal with issues causing the flooding but we need the elected leaders to be present at discussions concerning the development of Linden.”

Additionally, Mr Figueira expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue during the meeting. (OPM)