…as water recedes in some parts, raises in others
Head of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Chabilall Ramsarup, said its relief efforts are continuing in Region 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo), which is still battling floods, although waters have begun to recede in some areas, allowing residents to venture back home. He held a press briefing yesterday to update the media on the CDC’s operations in Lethem.
Ramsarup said that all of the people who could not occupy their hopes due to the floods are beginning to return home, as the water recedes. He said for the people returning home, the CDC is giving kits to them so that they can make their environment less risky.
“We have set up an operations room along with the Region at the government’s guesthouse. We are meeting twice daily: one meeting at 9 am and one at 7 pm. Through those meetings, we are coordinating the general response in Central, South and North Rupununi,” he said.
He said that the command centre is getting feedback from all of the five sub-regions on a daily basis.
Ramsarup said that about 45 families have been placed in shelters in various locations. He noted too that the water has receded some 10 feet in some areas, making the use of most of the boats impractical. He said that the roads are still impassable because of the floods.
“We have been distributing medical supplies and kits…we are distributing right now to Central Rupununi and we have made [a number of flights] so far,” he said.
He said that the CDC has distributed 500 water bottles and are distributing water at the same time. He said too that the kits that the CDC is distributing include bleach to purify drinking water.
The CDC head confirmed that the CDC has assisted in bring out persons with medical emergencies from the flooded communities. He said that one person with appendicitis was brought out and another with a broken shin because of the flooding.
Ramsarup said that there is no problem with food supplies at the moment, and noted that the CDC has been sending in food to the worst affected communities. He said that the authorities in neighbouring Brazil have their hands full with flooding there.
He said that so far, none of the residents of the affected communities of Region 9 has been reported missing or unaccounted for. He s aid too that nothing about the situation is being deemed life-threatening.
Ramsarup confirmed that while the water has been dropping very rapidly, the south remains the most affected area. He said between Manaus and Boa Vista has been cut off, and it is the same between Boa Vista and Bom Fin. “We have to re-examine bridges and culverts when the water would have receded. Both approaches to Pirara had water still, and the water seems to be rising in this area,” Ramsarup said. He said all airstrips, save for two of them, are unserviceable.
He said that power has been restored to the normal 16 hours per day and said there is fuel enough for two weeks of power generation. He said that telephone services are normal. The CDC head noted that there has been an outbreak of mosquito infestation because of the water. However, the CDC has been taking the necessary measures to deal with this.
On Monday last, authorities in Brazil declared a state of emergency in several municipalities of the northern state of Roraima. Boa Vista, the capital city of Roraima, has been the particularly affected due to its proximity to the Branco River.
According to reports, the flooding forced the evacuation of at least 450 inhabitants of Boa Vista and several main highways across the state have been closed. The Brazilian authorities expect more heavy rains in the coming weeks.
According to Brazilian authorities, the northern region of Roraima is facing its worst flood since 1976. The Branco River already rose 10.02 meters high, surpassing the record of 1976, when the river reached 9.8 meters.
According to international news media reports, visitors to the state of Roraima are being advised to avoid the affected areas, especially Boa Vista and its surroundings. They are being told also to avoid the areas nearby the Branco River, to listen to all advisories given by local authorities, and to monitor local and international media to get an update of the situation.