‘Zulfi’ not taking chances with City Hall during rainy season, assigns engineers to monitor GT

Three engineers attached to the Ministry of Agriculture have been assigned to monitor Georgetown during the upcoming May/June season, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar ‘Zulfi’ Mustapha revealed on Tuesday, noting that he is not depending on the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown to ensure all pumps and sluices are working.

“We have assigned three engineers to Georgetown so that they can also monitor because over the years you all know our problem with the City Council, and I am not taking chances there,” Minister Mustapha told reporters at the sidelines of an event at the ministry’s head office.

Minister Mustapha explained that the engineers will monitor pumps and sluices in the city and report information on a real-time basis.

He revealed that works will continue to ensure all pumps and sluices are functioning to mitigate the risk of flooding in Georgetown and across the country.

“The rainfall has already started and over the last few months we have been having pumps and sluices and the silting of canals on an ongoing basis,” Minister Mustapha said.

Additionally, in the Black Bush Polder area in Region Six, the ministry started works on the outfall and this will continue during the May/June period.

“Last Saturday, I went up the Corentyne and we had some really heavy rainfall on the Corentyne and there was a request for pumps,” Minister Mustapha said.

He revealed that a pump has already been sent to the No. 52, No.51 villages in the Corentyne “to boost the system that we have here.”

Meanwhile, the ministry has also been inspecting drainage systems across communities to ensure they are operable.