Residents in the north-east end of Grove/Diamond, East Bank Demerara are now cleaning their homes and counting their losses after a koker door broke on Wednesday evening causing severe flooding in the area.

On Wednesday, around 17:00 hours, the door of the koker which services the communities of the north-east end of Grove and Diamond, caved under the pressure of the rising tide, which caused water levels to rise to around approximately eight inches.

However, due to quick response from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), and with the aid of a contractor, staff from the Neighbouring Democratic Councils (NDCs) were able to have temporary emergency works done on the koker to have it up and running, and almost immediately after the water started to recede.
The emergency works had already commenced at low tide around 23:00 hours late Wednesday night, before the 03:00 hours high tide early Thursday morning.
When the Guyana Chronicle visited the area on Thursday morning remedial works were being completed.
The NDC and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) were also on the ground distributing cleaning and sanitation agents to the affected residents.
The CDC had also identified the Diamond Secondary School as a temporary shelter for those families affected by the breach at the koker, but none of the residents utilised it.

Herman Ramphal, a councillor attached to the NDC, speaking with the media, explained that government have promised that within three to four days, a brand new door will be built for the koker.

According to Ramphal, in 2018, the Koker was undermined and a construction company had to be called in to do the remedial works.
However, the company did not repair the doors of the koker, only its revetment.

According to reports, four days ago the koker operator made a report to the NDIA, whereby someone visited the area.
However, unfortunately it was the brakes of the koker and not the door that he reported.
An NDC official stated that over 400 residents were affected by the flooding, which also left many businesses and farmers in the area counting their losses.
Meanwhile, the affected residents were busy cleaning up their homes, while others were busy assessing the damage.
One of the residents, Ramdial Lalji, who was busying sweeping water out of his home, explained that everything in his home, along with other personal documents, were damaged due to the flood waters.

“All that meh work for in my young days just gone in a second,” the distressed man said as he noted that he has been residing in the area for over 30 years.
Another resident, Parbatie Paul, was busy cleaning her apartment along with her six grandchildren. The elderly woman explained that her refrigerator along with their clothing were damaged.

Celestine Butters estimated her losses to be in the millions, since she is currently renovating her home. Butters and her family were busy pumping water, which was around two inches high, from her home.

Butters stressed that her daughter is a medical student at the Texila American University and all of her text books were damaged.
Also, house wife Renita, who only four months ago got married and moved into their Market Street, Grove home, was busy cleaning and doing repairs to her home.
The newlywed couple were sealing up patches in the concrete walls to prevent water from coming into their home.
All the family’s groceries were spoiled by the flood along with other household furniture and appliances.

During the floods on Wednesday, government officials on the scene were Prime Minister, Brigadier (Rt’d) Mark Phillips; Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Mr. Deodat Indar; and Agriculture Minister, Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha.
Minister Edghill, speaking to residents in the area, explained that the purpose of his being there was so that his ministry could be mobilised to lend the NDIA a helping hand.

Minster Mustapha also explained that measures will also have to be put in place to make sure that better care is taken of key infrastructure.
The Prime Minister, who lives in Diamond, assured his fellow villagers that work will commence almost immediately to fix the problems they’re having with the koker and other D&I matters in the neighbourhood.