As Lindeners repair storm-battered houses, Town Council prepares for scientific study of drainage

Last Updated on Thursday, 26 September 2024, 11:37 by Denis Chabrol

Even as repairs to mainly the roofs of 33 houses in Linden that were destroyed by Wednesday night’s brief storm, the Linden Town Council is preparing to conduct a scientific study of the drainage infrastructure in the town, officials said.

Linden Mayor, Sharma Solomon said a tender would be awarded to conduct a scientific study titled “Optimization of the Drainage System of Central Mackenzie”. The findings and recommendations, he said, would be used to engage the government to take remedial action.

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) did not specify the number of houses affected by the storm, but said one house was destroyed.  The CDC said building supplies would be delivered to the affected residents so that they may begin to restore their homes and livelihoods.

The main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) on Thursday said the storm affected residents of Retrieve, Blueberry Hill, Victory Valley, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Alley, and Beauty St in Danjou Hill.

Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) Regional Executive Officer, Dwight John said Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill arranged with contractors from Linden to repair the houses. Mr John said tarpaulins were also supplied to provide temporary cover, although repairs were scheduled to be completed by late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

No one was injured, officials said.

The REO said the CDC established two shelters in Mackenzie and Wismar.

The PNCR said an assessment team, led by the party’s General Secretary Sherwin Benjamin, was visiting the affected areas to conduct a thorough evaluation of the damage and gather firsthand accounts from residents. “This visit is crucial in formulating actionable recommendations to present to the government for immediate relief and recovery efforts and to guide the party’s own relief efforts,” the PNC said.

Asked what was the long-term plan for residents to build or repair houses that are storm resistant, Mr John said that was the responsibility of the Linden Town Council. Concerning the wider Region 10, Mr John said “the RDC will encourage persons, who are building, to take into consideration that the climate is changing and we are getting much more squalls in Region 10 than we usually have.”

Mayor Solomon said the frequency of the storms in the town- so far four for the year-points to the need for sustainable solutions by ensuring proper drainage infrastructure is constructed and the outfalls are cleared regularly.

He said while central government engineers were busy “measuring up, measuring up”, there was need to clean the drains and outfalls to prevent the flooding of alleys and valleys. “The water is flowing over into a different community that is a basin which are the alleys and valleys,” he told Demerara Waves Online News.

Mr Solomon said the Town Council was legally responsible for drainage in the town but did not have sufficient equipment and cash to execute the works. In terms of equipment, he said the “only matter on the floor” is the acquisition of a mini excavator and road patching equipment.

One possible solution to the drainage problem, according to Mr Sharma who is a former Region 10 Chairman, is for agriculture to be added as a regional budgetary programme as is the case in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six which would see the establishment of a National Drainage and Irrigation Authority branch.

Instead, he indicated that Central Government had awarded a drainage contract which resulted in the construction of a drainage wall shortly after it was built.

On the revenue side, the Linden Mayor said the Local Government Ministry has not yielded to the Town Council’s four requests to approve an increase in rates and taxes from current lows of GY$1,500 and GY$2,000. At the same time, he said the municipality was saddled with debts to the Guyana Revenue Authority and GY$180 million to National Insurance Scheme, GY$200 million to the electricity companies. Through agreements, he said a number of those debts were being repaid.

While residents and businesses in Linden owe the Town Council more than GY$100 million in principal and interest dating back to the 1980s, Mr Solomon credited a slight improvement in payments to the use of Mobile Money Guyana as a means by which especially overseas-based property owners could pay their debts. He said tax annual tax amnesties had been helping to rake in some earnings.