Agri. Ministry working ‘round the clock’ to limit flooding – Mustapha

As Guyana’s May/ June rainy season unfolds, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha Wednesday said the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is working 24 hours daily to clean drains and ensure that pumps are kept operational to limit any flooding.

Mustapha provided an update on flood prevention efforts on Wednesday at his Regent Street, Georgetown office.

He highlighted that there have been drainage works ongoing in Regions Four, Six and 10. Several agencies have been mobilised to desilt canals.

Even so, some areas have already been hard-hit by flooding.

Mustapha said there was “unusual rainfall” in Linden, Region 10. Parts of the town were covered in about four and a half inches of rainfall but the minister said a multi-agency effort saw much of the water removed in about 24 hours’ time.

Mustapha, however, lamented that maintenance of many of the internal drains were neglected by the Regional Democratic Council. That contributed to the substantial inundation of the town.

Similar woes have been faced in Georgetown, Mustapha said too.

According to him, the local authorities in the city have not maintained the internal drainage network well but the ministry is working alongside residents to clear the drains and keep the pumps operating.

“In Georgetown, we are working with citizens to see how we can help clean some of the internal drains.

“We are working around the clock,” he said.

In fact, Mustapha said 12 pumps in the city are all operational and there are three engineers assigned on a 24-hour basis.