A team led by Opposition Parliamentarians, on behalf of the People’s Progressive Party’s General Secretary, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, on Sunday visited the flood affected community of Kwakwani, Region One- Barima Waini- where they distributed food items and cleaning detergents to the grateful residents.
“This morning, I’d like to thank our past President, [Bharrat] Jagdeo, Dr [Roger] Luncheon and so many of our other comrades who were able to send some stuff for us here at the Waterfront, in Kwakwani because Kwakwani, as you can see, is in a very bad state and we really need this help at this time and so we’re very happy that you’re here to bring some stuff so that we can distribute to these people,” one anxious villager said as she received the items.
At the scene on Sunday, residents appeared to be elated and extremely appreciative of the items, while complaining that the consistent flooding has resulted in their farms, and means of providing food for their families, being submerged under water.
“This water deh from since June the 15 on my land…I thank God that the school shut so I don’t have to [drop off to school] in the flood water…People shops and so affected…Mostly wa is affected for me is my cash crops,” Danny Welshman, a resident in the area told INews.
Most of Kwakwani, in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), continues to be under floodwater, owing to heavy rainfall.
In some areas the flood waters, which reached heights of approximately nine feet, have now begun to recede incrementally.
Over 300 households are affected and although the residents have adopted adaptive measures, most homes are completely flooded resulting in them being forced to move to higher ground.
Meanwhile, on Sunday morning, some of the residents also received supplies of cleaning agents and utensils as well as medical supplies from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). These include soap powder, bleach, soap, long boots and other cleaning agents.
Regional Vice Chairman of Region 10 Elroy Adolph, who is also a resident of Kwakwani, said that the residents have expressed their appreciation for the CDC’s effort to promptly respond to their call for help. “I am pleased, they were very prompt, I am very pleased that they have come on board to assess the situation and to also provide help, just two days after.”
Adolph highlighted one of the challenges facing the residents in the present situation is transportation. He said high fees are being called especially from canoe operators, plying the flooded routes, to transport the residents who live on the outskirts of Kwakwani, to the central location, for shopping and other business-related purposes.
The Regional Vice Chairman is calling on the relevant officials consider raising the level of the main access road so that when the flooding occurs in the future, transportation would not be affected.
