Public Works Ministry embarks on major drainage works in the city: affected areas expected to be drained out in three days
Monday, 2 December 2013, GINA, Source
The Ministry Public Works on Friday embarked on a major exercise designed to alleviate drainage problems in Georgetown, especially in the Lodge, Charlestown, Wortmanville, Albouystown and Queenstown areas.
The clean-up entailed clearing of blocked drains, and removal of vegetation and garbage from the heavily blocked drainage canals.
Some of the items to be removed from the Charlestown area
Workers cleaning the drains in the Sussex Street, Charlestown area
This move comes in the wake of the heavy downpour on November 27 that caused flooding in parts of the city and in Regions 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara). The rainfall which was recorded at the Botanical Gardens measured 128.9mm or 5.1 inches, the highest in the City since 1892.
Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn who was on site at Sussex Street today during the exercise, said the ministry has four emergency teams working in particular areas of South Georgetown.
“It’s an additional effort because we have so much of vegetation and garbage all over the city …barring not much more rain, we anticipate that we will get those areas drained out in three days’ time,” he pointed out.
He said that the ministry has installed pumps in Queenstown and Lodge, and it was anticipated that more pumps would be installed.
Benn also added that the ministry will be obtaining two long-reach excavators to assist in alleviating the drainage problems in the city, and will engage persons to remove impediments-especially scrap iron- that will cause any obstruction to clearing of the drains.
This, Minister Benn said, complements what the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is doing to address the issue of solid waste in the city.
