Government promises to address flood areas and offer relief packages

Government announced that from today Ministers will be visiting flood hit areas. In a Department of Public Information (DPI) release, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips said the Government will make needed interventions to support communities affected by flooding and provide relief to all affected residents.

Guyana is below sea level and flooding occasioned by heavy deluge of water such as high tide, heavy rainfalls are expected. Proper water management requires building and operational maintenance of infrastructures like seawalls, cleared drainage, working pumps, desilting of the Rivers. Appropriate investment in resources, human, capital and infrastructures, could make this possible.

Recent rainfall, particularly over the last 96 hours, has affected many regions throughout Guyana.

The areas earmarked for government’s attention are, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice). The release said that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), in a comprehensive update, indicated that water is decreasing in certain areas, but is rising in others.

Reportedly in Region Nine more than 180 households and 15 farms have been impacted by flooding. In Region 10, Rockstone and Speightland are also affected, while reports from Kwakwani indicate that the Berbice River is approximately two feet above the river bank, which has resulted in over 200 households being affected.

Region Seven is experiencing a high water level as a result of the overtopping of the Cuyuni River, and Chenapau in Region Eight is enduring a similar outcome due to the overtopping of rivers there.

Government said to alleviate the flooding problems, the Central Government, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and regional bodies have been clearing drains and canals; repairing and maintaining pumps and kokers, while they have also been relocating livestock. Flooding and expected loss of properties, vegetation and livestock are becoming the norm.