…as high tides batter several villages in Guyana
With intense overtopping along the costal stretch as a result of high tides this past year, persons residing on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) are calling for stronger reinforcement to the sea defences.
The effects of climate change are beginning to worry scores of residents, who have, for three times already this year, battled with extreme flooding from overtopping caused by unusually high tides.
Guyana Times International visited communities on Wednesday, including Stewartville, where the sluice suffered a breach on Tuesday night. Early Wednesday morning, the intensity of the tides resulted in another breakage which was immediately mended.
Taking these factors into account, residents are calling on authorities to have the sea defence extended higher to reduce the impact of overtopping.
Sherryann Wickham, who lives a stone’s throw away from the seawall, explained that the current structure cannot shelter them from these tumbling waves, measuring over 10 feet tall in some cases. While the boulders have resulted in a sturdy edifice, they should be constructed higher.
Villagers are also calling for the drainage system to be improved.
“If persons in charge could come and build it up some more and also with the boulders and fix the koker properly. As soon as the officials left this morning, it break again. We have drains at the back but they have to clean them so that the water can drain off faster,” Wickham related.
Her neighbour also added, “We were scared because we know the losses that we does get and no help. We asking for the koker to get a safer door because it does be breaking steady with this high tide. I think the boulders need to raise more high because we does flood terrible out here”.
In the past two days, the door of the sluice was breached two times and some persons have had sleepless nights after being on the alert for a future catastrophe.
Data Chandra relayed, “Last night, we didn’t sleep. We were on the alert and when the water start knocking, I jump up and then we hear a big noise when the koker break away”.
After the second incident, Agriculture Manager at the Guyana Sugar Cooperation’s (GuySuCo) Uitvlugt Estate, Naresh Narine was on site, as he explained that the structure was fixed properly during the first encounter. But this repair could not withstand the growing force of the tide.
“After last night when we put in the false door, we have a problem here. We had a broken board or two because of the same heavy pressure from the tide. We’re trying to get this done as soon as possible before the tide changes. It’s the force of this water. It is not that they did not do a good job when they put it in,” Narine indicated.
During the first breakage on Tuesday evening, residents of Stewartville and surrounding areas were singing praises to the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) Uitvlugt Estate team after a possible catastrophic flood was averted.
The main koker at the border of Stewartville and Uitvlugt villages encountered a breach, which was discovered some time around 18:30h. According to information, the lower three boards of the koker’s main door was ripped out, resulting in water from the Atlantic rushing on to the mainland.
Last year, four kokers had collapsed under pressure after waves hammered the wooden doors and were successful. Narine told this publication that other sluices have been secured this time around.
In other communities, which would have suffered before, villagers indicated that the effects were mitigated this time around as a result of precautionary measures employed. The drainage outlets were recently cleared to allow for such instances.
“[GuySuCo] is responsible for all the sluices from CI (Cornelia Ida) coming all the way to De Kinderen. Those are okay, we have checked them again this morning to verify that they’re in good condition and they’re okay”.
Pollution
Meanwhile, the Mayor and City Council has warned that the they are responsible for the Georgetown Seawall. Expressing dissatisfaction with the current polluted surroundings, the Council warned vendors that this practice should cease.
“The Council expresses grave concern and dissatisfaction with how the environment is polluted. Although the Council does not receive any revenue from the vendors who operate on the Georgetown Seawall, or dispose of the waste emanated from activities conducted therein, we implore vendors, regardless of where they operate, to express care and caution for the environment. We hope that collectively this issue can be resolved with alacrity,” a City Hall release stated.
This problem has not only affected the Georgetown Seawall, but it has also affected the WCD seawalls. In this case, garbage and other waste materials dumped into the Atlantic Ocean is spitted back onto the land during high waves, like is currently experienced.
