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Region 10 communities hit hard by flood waters
A house under water in Lamp Island area in Kwakwani
By Vanessa Braithwaite
Kaieteur News – Several communities, particularly farming communities in the Upper Demerara-Berbice Region, have become inundated as a result of incessant rainfalls. Many farms have been hit hard by resulting flood waters and farmers are counting their losses.
Communities severely affected are Speightland, Coomacka, Kwakwani, Hururu and villages in the Upper-Berbice River.
In Speightland, the affected farmers are calling on the Region 10 Department of Agriculture or the Ministry of Agriculture for assistance. Farmers in the Upper-Berbice River whose farms are completely covered by water are making similar calls. Jean Williams, a farmer of the community of Hururu, said the farmers in his community were hit especially hard. “There are about 13 to 15 farms that are under water. Aside from logging which is now on the decrease, farming is presently our only alternative income and we are pleading with the regional officials and the government to render some form of assistance to us; it can be a loan, grant or any other means in pushing us to sustain our families,” Williams told Kaieteur News.
Residents of Coomacka Mines also had their properties and household items damaged as a result of the flooding situation. The state of affairs, they said, commenced two weeks ago and occurs every time there is heavy rainfall. They explained that the flooding is as a result of a small koker, in addition to a narrow drain that cannot effectively drain the water whenever there is a deluge.
One affected resident, Timika Williams, told this newspaper that the community is flooded during each May/June rainy season. “The koker can’t take off the water, the drain is narrow in front of the koker and the water would rush down right in front of us, from the school straight down,” she said.
The residents are calling for a bigger koker and a better drainage system that will better control the flow of the water. Regional Executive Officer, Dwight John, said that emergency works would be conducted in the community to improve the drainage system as soon as possible. Dexter Harding, the Community Development Council Chairman, said that he had made representation for the community and as a result, the Ministry of Public Works is expected to provide a tube and other items for needed emergency works.
Since the flooding, residents have received cleaning supplies from the Civil Defence Commission.
In Kwakwani, the communities are presently under five feet or more of water. Roads and other public infrastructure in the Kwakwani Water Front and Lamp Island areas are currently inaccessible. In addition, residents, particularly children, are now exposed to waterborne diseases as a result of pit latrine waste escaping into the flood waters.
The Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council (KNDC) reportedly submitted three reports to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the Civil Defence Commission regarding the flooding.
According to Cassie Hohenkirk, Overseer of KNDC, 51 flood relief packages have already been delivered to residents of Kwakwani. The Civil Defence Commission had also taken relief packages to residents in villages along the Upper-Berbice River last week.
Hohenkirk said farmers in the vicinity of Lamp Island were forced to reap their produce in its early stages. At present, he noted, it is impossible for farmers to gain access to their farms.
The water level at the main thoroughfare leading to the Kwakwani Waterfront from Central Park (Waterfront Road) has been rising, forcing motorists to use an alternative route. As a result, public transportation operatives have been charging an additional $300 to the $200 customary fare.
Venus Thomas, an 81-year-old resident, said, “It’s over 35 years I am in this, I have already taken my farm to higher grounds. The only thing is the $500 transportation cost to draw my pension and purchase ration,” Thomas said.
Kwakwani Utilities Inc. has also provided households with overhead tanks and purification tablets, since accessing potable through the taps are now impossible. Regional Chairman, Deron Adams, said that he has engaged the relevant authorities, including the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, on the flooding situation in Region 10.
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