[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Ministry Public Works embarked on a major exercise designed to alleviate drainage problems in Georgetown, especially in the Lodge, Charlestown, Wortmanville, Albouystown and Queenstown areas.
The clean-up entailed clearing of blocked drains, and removal of vegetation and garbage from the heavily blocked drainage canals.
This move comes in wake of the heavy downpour on November 27 that caused flooding in parts of the city and in Regions 2 and 3. The rainfall which was recorded at the Botanical Gardens measured 128.9mm or 5.1 inches, the highest in the City since 1892.
Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn who was on site at Sussex Street during the exercise, said the ministry has four emergency teams working in particular areas of South Georgetown.
“It’s an additional effort because we have so much of vegetation and garbage all over the city …barring not much more rain, we anticipate that we will get those areas drained out in three days’ time,” he pointed out.
He said that the ministry has installed pumps in Queenstown and Lodge, and it was anticipated that more pumps would be installed.
Minister Benn also added that the ministry will be obtaining two long reach excavators to assist in alleviating the drainage problems in the city, and will engaging persons to remove impediments, especially scrap iron that will cause any obstruction to clearing of the drains.
This, Minister Benn said complements what the Ministry of Local Government and Regional development is doing to address the issue of solid waste in the city.
