Flooding in Guyana is also caused by human negligence
Jul 01, 2017 , http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....by-human-negligence/
Dear Editor,
The existing flooding in Guyana is not only caused by heavy rain fall but by human negligence from the NDC’S and those responsible for drainage and irrigation. Last week Thursday it rained very heavily all day. I was in my room reading. I had a wedding to perform at 5 PM. My wife called and told me our downstairs was flooded.
I left my studies and ran downstairs. The water was under my entire house. My neighbour’s kitchen was flooded. My front bridge was covered. I was worried about crossing over my front bridge. I needed a boat urgently, but to no avail. My concerns are many regarding where I live on Agriculture Road. I note with interest the water from the trench runs back into my yard. This trench is full of bushes and huge trees and snakes. The BV Triumph NDC is responsible for digging this trench but it was never dug. If this trench was just six foot deep my yard and residents’ yard would have never come under water. This is the trench on the right hand side of the road.
I always pay my rates and taxes on time early in January; I never owed a cent yet I cannot get the services from the BV and Triumph NDC. The other trench over by NAREI has over-flowed into the NAREI compound and is now a threat to their stock farm. If these trenches were dug deep and properly maintained then we would have had no flooding. To avoid flooding we need deep trenches for land movement and the smaller trenches leading to the big trenches must be maintained properly. I also noticed that residents on Agriculture Road have constructed a number of structures on the government reserves in order to conduct business and there are also play grounds thus making it impossible for the NDC to clean these trenches. I wonder if it was not the NDC that gave these residents permission to build business structures on the government reserves, then who was it that gave them permission.
I have travelled this entire nation and everywhere I see nasty trenches full of trees and bushes. My sister called me from Port Mourant last week. She told me her yard is over three feet in water and there is no machine to pump out the water. In my travels, I noticed most pumps and kokers are not working. Why are we paying rates and taxes to NDC’S that do not have the citizens’ interest at the fore? In the news I see Ministers Patterson, Holder and Mr Flatts trying to help the situation that’s not far different from the 2005 floods, but my questions are the same.
Why try to learn to start a pump only after you are flooded? Why try to bring a drag-line on a slippery muddy dam to work when these jobs should have been done earlier in the dry season? What are we paying taxes for? We should be asked not to pay taxes again until 2020 to recover our loses or residents should sue these NDC’S for compensation.
I really want Mr. Patterson and Mr. Holder to come to Agriculture Road to see these business structures that hinder efforts to have these trenches properly cleaned. I really want them to see this pot holed road that’s a human disgrace to the Guyana School of Agriculture.
All these floods can be avoided if we have deep clean trenches with proper palls. In some areas it will take money but lots has been wasted on things like Mash, Carifesta, and Independence but we need to maintain this nation from constant flooding. Right now millions of dollars are lost in the rice and agriculture sector. Those areas needed to be protected. Millions are lost in live stock and residents have lost millions in house hold assets. We need to study this country during the rainy season and act early before it’s too late. In my observation this flooding could have been prevented if trenches, drains, kokers, sluices and pumps are properly managed and maintained. We need more competent people at the NDCs and NDIA. Only prayers can help us now. This flooding hinders our now Green Economy. Maybe our current administration will blame God now for the rains.
Rev.Gideon Cecil