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Flooding woes… APNU slams lack of public notification, disregard for regional municipalities
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has called on the government to convene a ministerial taskforce to tackle the ongoing issue of flooding in the city and its environs. The coalition has criticized the government’s poor preparation, lack of public notification, and slow reaction to extreme and adverse weather conditions.
David Granger
The party noted that the government should have the administrative arms of the Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment, Health, Housing and Water, Human Services, Local Government and Public Works Ministries, “coordinate a national response and avert humanitarian catastrophe during the impending rainy season.”
APNU Leader David Granger told media workers at a press conference yesterday that the party lays the blame at the feet of the PPP/C government for their, “unsatisfactory response to the flooding that afflicted several areas of the hinterland, coastland and the city of Georgetown…”
APNU pointed out that drainage and irrigation have always been centrally controlled and coordinated from colonial times.
“This is more necessary in this age of climate change. The PPPC administration, however, has failed to notify the public, coordinate a national response with towns, neighbourhoods and regions and provide relief for citizens in distress.”
Granger said the government failed to relate to the citizenry extreme weather conditions.
“The Minister of Agriculture admitted that rainfall was the most intense over a six-hour period, from 02:00h to 08:00 h in Georgetown. Rainfall was measured 128.9mm (5.1 inches) the highest recorded in the City since 1892. The current systems, including the Doppler Radar System, seem to serve mainly the international airport, notifying aircraft of existing weather, rather than to forecast weather to warn the population of impending difficulties.”
The Opposition Leader went on to say that the government failed to collaborate with regional municipalities.
“The PPP’s dismissive attitude to regions, towns and neighbourhoods has resulted in Councils being run by appointed executive officers and clerks rather than elected councilors, mayors and chairmen. Local councils were incapable of responding to unanticipated flooding in Wakapoa, Charity, Supenaam and St Denny’s in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region 2; in Wakenaam, Harlem and the Canals Polder in the Essequibo Islands -West Demerara Region 3 and in Georgetown, Lusignan and Buxton in the Demerara-Mahaica Region 4. Heavy rainfall occurred also in the Mahaica-Berbice 5 and East Berbice-Corentyne 6 Regions.”
“The comment by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) that Wednesday’s flooding did not reach “alarming” levels was unbelievable,” Granger charged. “The PPPC administration has been slow to provide immediate relief, especially in the form of drinking water and evacuation of the aged and disabled.”
APNU has called on government to convene a ministerial taskforce to tackle the ongoing issue of flooding in the city and its environs.
Granger said that vulnerable persons in low-lying areas and bottom-flat homes were caught off guard by the flooding with no form of relief reaching them. The task force, he charged, would take on the role of addressing such issues.
When asked, Granger said his party would be happy to lend their expertise and input into the affairs of the “taskforce”. APNU, he said, volunteers to offer advice to increase the effectiveness of the taskforce.
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