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Lethem residents fearful of imminent rainy season
– farmers, households to receive Gov’t relief
By Rabindra Rooplall
Residents of Lethem are fearful that flooding will return with dire consequences, since the traditional rainy season is yet to begin, and this sentiment was also underscored by the Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine, Ronald Harsawack.
“Brazil has serious rains and flooding still continues, what will happen to us when the real rainy season starts?” residents collectively questioned.
“20 years now we never get a flooding like this, I never see something like this,” one resident said.
The REO did emphasise, however, that the Takatu River is being monitored and every hour checks are being made on the water level to initiate an emergency plan for residents if there are any signs of imminent flooding.
Flood waters have receded and roads that were impassible are now being freely traversed.
Incessant rainfall had during the first week of this month affected a number of businesses and homes in Lethem, and in many cases, villagers have had to utilise boats to traverse the area.
Presently, flood waters have receded, and a fair degree of normalcy has returned to the affected community, with most businesses resuming operations.
In what is being described as the third phase of assistance to flood victims of Lethem, residents will be benefiting from household assistance while 600-plus farmers are to be assisted with planting materials, tools and equipment to help with farming from today, according to the REO.
The first phase was getting food and potable water to residents and the second phase dealt with the distribution of chemicals to treat water.
Yesterday, the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) representatives landed in the region and begun preparing to distribute agricultural items to farmers. Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud is expected to be in the area today to start implementation strategies to assist the affected farmers.
Another major focus of the Ministry of Agriculture is the resumption of production since the water receded. There will be a period of time in which the farmers will be required to wait until they can once again utilise the land.
This newspaper was told that the villages such as Ruperti, Sand Creek and Baitun, all their farmlands to the flood and certain sections of Lethem and Aishalton had similar plots completely covered with water.
According to the REO, the emergency management operation centre was used to direct relief throughout the region, and sub-centres were also set up in Karasabai, Aishalton, Sand Creek and Annai and resources were provided to care for various villages under their command.
He said some of the items supplied were water pumps, generators, food supplies, cleaning agents, and medical supplies. In addition, there was critical health staff comprising medexes and doctors in the severely affected locations.
Harsawack explained that various tests were conducted for malaria and a number of water-borne diseases, while veterinarians were also assigned to villages that had livestock.
Noting that there are still personnel stationed at various villages, the REO said that there have been complaints about water contamination by residents; however, the region dispensed treating agents to purify the water so that it would be suitable for human consumption – chlorosol, bleach and chlorine tablets were distributed.
“Although we had gone and spoken to them and shared around flyers about the treatment of water, what some of them did was they would throw it (purification agents) into the well, without knowing the volumes of water in the well…it eventually had no effect in purifying the water. However, they were advised to extract the water into containers where it could be measured and purified,” Harsawack said.
Nevertheless, he noted that GWI in collaboration with the region and Minister Robeson Benn, had ensured that the water was treated and distributed by way of “black tanks and Jerry cans.” He said 600 “jerry cans” were distributed to households and were topped up daily, while three trucks were going around with eleven black tanks, distributing water in the various communities. This was done for eight days until the water receded, and residents were then asked to boil their water before consumption.
The REO further said that data is still being compiled by the region and livestock that were on higher ground had returned to their grazing pastures.
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