Flood situation under control -and everything being done to drain the land at the earliest

LOCAL Government and Regional Development Minister (MLGRD) Norman Whittaker, updating the media on the situation regarding Wednesday night’s inundation and the consequent flooding, said the highest rainfall in decades was recorded within a 24-hour period.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday morning in the LGRD Ministry Boardroom at Fort Street, Kingston, Georgetown, Minister Whittaker said that heavy and continuous rainfall that occurred primarily along the coastline over the past 24 hours resulted in flooding in several parts of the city and along the coastline.

Based on the information he has received, the minister disclosed, this is the highest recorded rainfall in decades — 186 millimetres – and it occurred between 11pm on Wednesday night and 8am yesterday morning.

The minister said that last Wednesday’s rainfall exceeded by 20 millimetres the 2005 rainfall that occasioned the Great Floods, which dumped 166.1 millimetres of rainfall on the coastline.

He pointed out that he, accompanied by Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Bishop Juan Edghill, and Minister of Public Works and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, visited sluices in the Georgetown area located at Sussex and at Princes streets; at Ruimveldt, Riverview, and at areas within the ward of Kingston with a view to determine whether those sluices were functional and whether they could do more to get the water off the land.

Whittaker said the rainfall occurred simultaneously with a ‘washing’ tide, but the LGRD Ministry staffers are doing what they can to pump and drain water off the land.

Minister Robeson Benn said the Ministry of Agriculture’s Hydro- meteorological Department had indicated that this was the highest rainfall Guyana had experienced in decades, with 186 millimetres being some seven and three-quarter inches of rain in a 24-hour period.

This, he noted, inevitably resulted in extensive flooding in the lower East Coast, in the city, in the lower East and West Banks of Demerara, in the West Coast of Demerara, the Essequibo Islands and in parts of the Essequibo Coast and other low-lying areas.

Minister Benn said Guyana was experiencing (nip) high tide during the period of this extensive rainfall, and the overall capacity of the drainage on the coast is one and one- half inches of ‘draw down’ or rainfall in any 24-hour period.
Consequently, there was significant accumulation of rainfall; and given the amount still anticipated over the next two to three days, water would inevitably be on the ground until the situation is returned to normalcy.

Minister Benn reported that the figures indicate that zero to 50 millimetres of rainfall is likely in general areas over the next two to three days, and those figures are even subject to upward adjustment.

Minister Benn said the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is also affected by heavy rainfall because of a ‘low pressure’ system which has caused severe flooding in areas of that country.

He said the drainage infrastructure in the city has been examined in terms of the kokers, pumps and outfalls; and that within the next few days, in an effort to enhance the drainage system and aid the speedy retreat of water, district engineers in sea and river defences would be monitoring the situation very closely and reporting to the Ministry. This exercise began since 06:00hrs yesterday morning in various areas in the various districts.

Minister Benn added that Ministry personnel would be moving into indentified areas in the city and on the coast, and along with personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture, would be pumping water off the land once the kokers are involved.

Benn said that pumps will be put in to enhance drainage in several areas, and, where necessary, a clean-up of garbage would also commence at bridges and culverts.

Meanwhile, Hydraulics Engineer/Technical Advisor Walter Willis told the press conference that the rainstorm within the past 24 hours, recorded from 08:00hrs on Wednesday to 08:00hrs yesterday (Thursday), deposited 186 millimetres of water on the coast, some seven and three-quarter inches of rainfall.

He said it had been established previously that between 1.5 to two inches of rainfall could be handled when the system operates efficiently in any 24-hour period, but given the scenario that obtained yesterday, it would take about three to four days of no further rainfall in order to get the water off the land.

Willis added that areas that are very low will flood first and drain last. He said this situation cannot be changed, but there are 11 sluices in Georgetown to drain the city. During their visit to the sluices yesterday morning, it was observed that plastic materials and other refuse were restricting the flow of water off the land.

He said there is no pump at McDoom, Rome and Meadow Bank, and it was observed that the Meadow Bank sluice is effective. He said another sluice may be constructed there to enhance drainage capacity.

Mayor and City Council (M&CC) City Engineer Colvern Venture said the City has personnel on the ground, and they are also manning the sluices in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works and the MLGRD, working feverishly to have the water drained off the city as soon as possible.

He noted that arrangements are made to install additional pumps at strategic places, and, for the next two to three days, the staffers at Liliendaal Pump Station would ensure there are no blockages of the grill because of the debris coming down in the canals.

In addition to the employees at the Kitty Pump Station, Venture said, there are personnel clearing refuse along the way to the main pumps at Liliendaal and Kitty Pump Stations.

He pointed out that sluices are operable and in working order and will be monitored for optimum use to drain water.

Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Bishop Juan Edghill, said it is quite evident the authorities are doing everything they can to alleviate the situation of flooding. He said there is no need to panic, since the reality is that Guyana had experienced overwhelming rainfall.
He said it is a reality and we should not go into the ‘panic mode’.

Edghill said every effort should be made at the household level in the south of the city, where there are a lot of bottom flats and the water is in homes. He advised people to take all necessary precautions and put their things a bit higher to safeguard them from flood waters.

He explained that, from a technical point of view, the water would be drained off the land in a few days, and we should ensure we take the necessary health precautions to avoid contracting water-borne diseases.

Edghill added that this is not the time for the nation to be engaged in the ‘blame game’, but we should work together. He said some political opportunists would seek to exploit the situation, but knowing the real situation in Guyana, we should ‘lock shoulders’ for minimum damage to our homes and properties.

He urged all to keep children safe, since schools are closed until further notice due to the flooding.

Town Clerk Carol Sooba, in remarks, told the press conference that she observed that the water had significantly receded during her visit to several flooded areas.

She told the gathering that M&CC Solid Waste Department had deployed a team clearing culverts of plastics and refuse in flooded areas in addition to the other M&CC team out there.

Sooba said the markets are under heavy flooding, and she appealed to all to control the dumping of garbage into the city drains, which hinders drainage. She appealed to persons selling vegetables in markets to wash same with bleach water to avoid any contamination.

(Michel Outridge)