Koker left open, Albouystown suffers again

Nov 26, 2014 News

Residents of Albouystown faced another bout of heavy flooding yesterday afternoon when

The door of the Sussex Street koker being closed with the use of an excavator.

water from the Demerara River gushed through the Sussex Street koker, which was reportedly left open by a Mayor and City Council (M&CC) worker who manages the sluice.
Reports indicated that the man did not close the sluice door properly yesterday morning before he left the site.
According to the koker’s pump attendant, Dexter Hatton, the pulley used to raise and lower the sluice door was also not working yesterday afternoon, when he tried closing it to stop the fast-flowing salt water. As a result, an excavator was used to press the door down to stop the water from inundating a large section of South Georgetown.
Efforts to pump water out of the city also proved futile, as the koker’s pump was also dysfunctional. Hatton said that the pump is currently in a dilapidated state, and requires a smaller pump “to prime it up” for it to start.
However, City Engineer, Colvern Venture, insists that the koker was “tampered with” by residents of the area. Venture said that he received confirmation that the koker door was properly closed in the morning by the M&CC official. He alleged that “people of the area, especially Albouystown residents, usually come and tamper with the koker when they see the water rise.”
He said that the sluice is managed by a variety of operators, who ensure that the koker door is closed

A flooded section of La Penitence market yesterday afternoon.

and opened at the right time, to allow proper drainage.
The influx of salt water from the koker was not realised until late yesterday afternoon, when Albouystown and La Penitence were flooded for the second time in a week.