Office of the President of Guyana

Bharrat Jagdeo

President of Guyana

Main Menu

Office of the President
New Garden Street, Georgetown. Guyana. South America
Tel# (592) 225-1330-8 or (592) - 226-7811

President Jagdeo lambastes vandalism of drainage structures

Visits affected East Coast communities

Georgetown, GINA January 21, 2006

The criminal action of either a person or group of persons has plunged several communities in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) into flooding and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces President Bharrat Jagdeo has deployed the Army to monitor drainage structures in the backlands.

Earlier in the week, drainage structures in the vicinity of Cove and John and Victoria/Haslington were vandalised, while the structure at Supply, Mahaica was burnt.

The President confirmed that reports were made of residents hearing gunshots at the backlands around the same time the structures were vandalised.

No one has yet been charged in connection with the acts.

“It is wrong. We have put out information that we are going to give people a reward leading to getting these people,” the President said.

The Head of State has since urged persons to desist from cutting the dams as this has resulted in a large volume of water from the backlands settling in residential areas. The situation has been compounded by the continuous heavy rainfall.

Taking a first hand look at the situation and empathising with residents, President Jagdeo visited several areas including Golden Grove, Nabaclis, Cove & John, Victoria, Belfield, Belmonte and Supply at Mahaica and Strathavon, Cane Grove.

“It seems at though the water is accumulating in some places and stable in others,’ the President said, adding that, “we would keep monitoring the situation. The immediate concern is lessening the flow of water from the backlands, getting the water away from the households, having the army monitor the structure and assisting people who need to move out,” the President said.

According to Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority Ravi Naraine, the three structures tampered with have been fixed.

He explained that most of the floodwater was caused by the vandalism, but rainfall also contributed.

“We hope that people do not do this again. There has been some reduction in the water level, but we cannot operate sluices in the Mahaica area, as the river water level is very high,” Naraine said.

President Jagdeo explained that “In the meanwhile, we have redeployed some pumps. Belfield is going to have another pump and they are installing one in Mahaica. By tomorrow morning we are going to bring in another dredge to dredge the outfalls. Hopefully this would give greater draft to clear the water from some of the villages faster. In the Mahaica area, we have to use pumps because the river is very high.”

Efforts are ongoing to source pumps from every possible area. A request was made of OMAI mining company, which will be sending a pump in one of the areas, while others would be leased.

A dredge is currently working in the Belfield area, but its capacity is insufficient and when the large dredge arrives it would also clear the outfall at Victoria, the President said.

Meanwhile, the ND&IA would be deploying equipment in the Mahaica area to assist with internal drains.

President Jagdeo told residents who are marooned in flat structures that they would be evacuated, if they wanted. Residents at Victoria called for evacuation and they are compiling a list. A government official would return to ensure it is done by tomorrow.

While in these villages, many residents complained of neglect by the Neighbourhood Democratic Council, which they say, contributed to improper drainage.

“You hear this almost everywhere we go and not just neglect but the unwillingness to talk to people just to even to explain the situation to them,” the President.

Several other concerns were raised during the President’s visits, but President Jagdeo indicated that these would be addressed after the flood.

Additionally, farmers at Noot-en-Zuil, told President Jagdeo of deliberate digging of soil from a dam by a private investor to fill swamp land he has leased.

“Someone would have to answer for that. If he was given permission, then they would have to say and he would have to find the earth and fill back the dam,” the President assured.

The removal of dirt from the dam has resulted in severe flooding to rice lands.

Residents called for the medical presence to be boosted and financial assistance for households. President Jagdeo said that government would see what assistance it could render, since at present the focus is draining the floodwater. He also explained that there are more than 20 medical teams currently deployed in flood - affected communities.

(OP photos by Sandra Prince)

Checking water levels at the Strathavon Koker