Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud stands next to NDIA CEO Lionel Wordsworth and NDIA Chairman Walter Willis
After 72 hours of heavy rainfall, the East Demerara Water Conservancy has swollen to within three inches of overtopping its embankment. And authorities have begun the process of discharging water from that conservancy as fears of a breach, with concomitant flash flooding, gripped residents along the East Coast Demerara and within Georgetown.
The Lama and Maduni sluices aback the village of Mahaicony are being used to discharge water from the conservancy into the Demerara River, which in turn discharges directly into the Atlantic Ocean. Drainage pumps and tubes have been installed at all available sluices and kokers along the lower East Coast Demerara, and water is also being pumped into the Mahaica River to force it into the Atlantic Ocean.
Normally, the EDWC averages 57.8 GD, which is just above the full supply level of 57.5 GD. The height of the Conservancy Dam is 59 GD. The water in the 120-mile-long conservancy was recorded at 58.75 GD before the Lama and Maduni sluices were opened; and at approximately 18:00h, when this newspaper visited the flagstaff, the water level stood at 58.7 GD. This means that, despite the efforts of the authorities, the conservancy level decreased by only 0.05GD. Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Walter Willis, has said that the level of the EDWC is normal, as it would be able to allow a little storage of water coming down from the catchment areas. Any further rise is cause for concern, Willis stated. The decision to open the two main sluices was taken early on Tuesday morning after the conservancy swelled to a threatening level. But while the level of the EDWC has decreased marginally, authorities are worried that continued rainfall will increase the water level. The sluices will be closed during the high tide period and will be reopened at 06:00h today.
Water was released via the sluices at low tide, commencing at 16:00h on Tuesday. The sluices will be working all day, to drain water which has accumulated in catchment areas of the conservancy, but will be closed during high tide to prevent any water from coming inland.
Releasing the water through the Lama and Maduni sluices raised the threat of flooding in the Upper Mahaica communities, but there has not been any report of flooding emanating from that area, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has stated. He added that the ministry was focusing on strengthening the dams to prevent any breaches. A number of pontoons have been deployed to the EDWC to reinforce the dams.
Residents in the upper reaches of the Mahaica and Mahaicony creeks are advised by the Agriculture Ministry to be on the alert and to take all necessary precautions against flooding.
At a visit to the Hope/ Dochfour site where the Hope Canal is to be constructed, Persaud disclosed that, when the canal is completely constructed, residents and farmers will be relieved of the fear of flooding. He added that work has already started on construction of the Hope canal, as the land has been cleared and grubbed. It is to be dredged as soon as the equipment (that was taken out for flood prevention) is available. Persaud said he was concerned about the level of the water, and is hoping that the level will drop significantly overnight.
Guyana Times International was reliably informed that, from the start of the La Niña period, excess water that accumulated in the EDWC was released via the five-door sluice at Land of Canaan and at the Kofi and Cunha outlets.
Demerara communities and other areas that remain inundated may soon get some relief, as sluices and other drainage structures in the affected regions are reportedly working around the clock to drain the water.
