Gibraltar, Fyrish affected by severe flooding

Jul 16, 2016 News

Flooding continues, this time in the East Berbice Corentyne villages of Gibraltar and Fyrish. Yesterday a councillor in the Neighbourhood Democratic Council for the two communities registered his dismay at the situation.
Councillor Crandon said that the communities have been dealing with flood waters for the past two months. He said that the pump in the area has been out of order for over six weeks now. He said that the main drainage koker is ineffective at the moment since silt and slush have blocked the outfall channel.
Despite the pump being down, Crandon believes that a private excavator can be hired to de-silt the blocked koker. He described the situation as an emergency case.
According to Crandon the excess water has caused animals belonging to farmers and residents to seek refuge on the streets. This is a discomfort for villagers who have to use the roads according to Crandon. Added to this he said that farmer’s crops have been destroyed.
Crandon said this is the first time water has reached into his yard. He said that he has made contact with the Regional Democratic Council but is dissatisfied with the response.
Kaieteur News made contact with Vice-Chairman of Region Six, Dennis DeRoop, yesterday who said that efforts are underway to address the plight of the residents. He said that the pump is indeed down but should be up and running before the weekend is out.
According to the Vice-Chairman the pump was initially working 24/7 to drain water from the communities. Due to this continuous operation, garbage from the waterways got entangled in the pump causing it to breakdown. He said that the damage is minor and will soon be up and running again. When asked about the koker, DeRoop said that measures are being put in place to de-silt the outfall channel.
Councillor Crandon reported that last Thursday villagers held a meeting discussing the situation. He said that if relief is not provided soon enough, plans will be put in place to stage a protest action.

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