Flood forces city to a standstill

Nov 28, 2013 News

– 42 city schools remain closed, more rains expected

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy was caught at the crossroads. On the one hand, sections of the country were affected by yesterday’s flooding whilst farmers were demanding water for their crops.
The dilemma was stated yesterday at a press briefing held at the Ministry of Agriculture. Dr. Ramsammy said that they expect more showers within the next 24 hours.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

He described yesterday’s rainfall as the most intense the country has ever recorded during a six-hour period. The heavy rains forced the closure of several private and public schools. Even businesses were forced to forfeit the day’s earnings as the flood waters crept into some stores.
The Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Middle Street was also closed as its entrance and holding cell were “ankle-high” with water. Several streets were also covered while garbage floated around the city.
Dr. Ramsammy said that the Hydro Meteorological Office noted a high pressure system over Bermuda which was dominant and forced the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) to shift from its last position bringing it directly over the Guyana Coast.
It brought in heavy rains, which the Minister said, could not have been predicted yesterday. The Botanical Gardens in Georgetown which is one of the measuring sites recorded 128.9 mm of rain in a six-hour period from 02:00 hours yesterday.
According to the Agriculture Minister, the 128.9 mm is the most intense period of rain in the history of weather recording in Guyana.
He said, “Indeed, we have never experienced that intensity which surprised me because I would have thought that the rains during the 2005 floods would have been the worse. However, this morning’s rainfall had an intensity of 21.5mm per hour, compared to 6.9mm per hour in 2005 and 5.9mm per hour in 2004.”
In terms of flooding, more than 75 percent of Georgetown was affected by the floods.
Regions Five and Six, the Minister said, reported low flooding but the struggle in those areas was ensuring the rice fields had water. In Region Five, there was a great need for water. The frontlands of Black Bush Polder are in a critical situation in terms of having adequate water. And this, the Minister said, created a dilemma, as they were faced with two situations; “floods and a drought.”
While cloudy conditions are expected to continue over the city the heaviest rainfall over the next 12 hours is expected to be over Regions Two and Region Four, recording between 50mm and 100mm of rainfall.
East Coast Demerara was not significantly affected.
And the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority has been instructed to remove two excavators from the Hope Canal Project to clear priority outfall channels. The first outfall expected to be cleared will be Cottage, Mahaicony, Region Five.
Meanwhile, flood warning remains in effect for areas along the Coast.
“For Georgetown, we operate with seven pumps and all are controlled by the Municipality. Two of those pumps we assist in operating. These two are the Liliendaal and Kitty pumps. These are automatic pumps which require a certain amount of water in the reservoir.”
“The other five pumps are also operated with collaborative assistance. We were informed yesterday morning that two pumps that are located at the mouth leading to the Demerara River are not working and the Municipality has requested our assistance. We have instructed the NDIA to help them and bring them into operation.”
“The pumps at the Lamaha Canal and the one within the vicinity of the Guyana Forestry Headquarters are not working and we are trying to provide as much support as we can.”
Dr. Ramsammy also disclosed to members of the media corps that during the flood there was a high tide and the two pumps which are not operating are critical to this situation.
He said, “The channels and the sluices had to be closed as we have to determine why the two pumps aren’t working. We have sent engineers there and while in the past there were minor problems with these pumps, I don’t think that is the case now.”
Also of note, is that the pump at Diamond, East Bank Demerara is not functioning properly but the Agriculture Minister has assured that it should be in operation today.
But Mayor Hamilton Green said, “The flooding in the city has to do specifically with clogged drains and ensuring that canals are cleared regularly and, desilting of the main canal around Georgetown requires the use of trucks to remove the waste and sludge.
However, Town Clerk Carol Sooba, refused to sign the cheques to have this system in place so that the canals can be desilted.”
He explained that the garbage situation during the Christmas season is inevitable, thus the unauthorized move by the Town Clerk to have removed the contractor has led to the garbage build up in the city.
He said, “In my 19 years of being at this council we have never had this situation before even during the great flood in 2005.”
However, Mayor Green explained that work is underway to clear the flooded areas.
Meanwhile, in light of the unforeseen weather, the Guyana Power and Light has implemented several initiatives in an effort to moderate the likelihood of network faults.
And members of the Opposition are questioning how effective are the “so-called” irrigation and drainage projects since the same problem continues to remain a problem year after year.
Reference was made to the Agricultural Diversification Programme (ADP), a component aimed at improving drainage and irrigation.
It was also highlighted that a number of pump stations which were done under the programme are not completed by their initial deadlines.
Minister Ramsammy said that the contractor, who was blazed for lagging behind on the $237M Patentia Pump station, is still moving slowly as the pump has not been installed as yet.
The 2012 budget had said that Government expended $7.1 billion on drainage and irrigation systems across the country whilst in the 2013 budget, a total of $6.5 billion was budgeted for the final payments towards the acquisition of fixed irrigation pumps, the construction and rehabilitation of pumps and pump stations in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six.