After almost a week of despair, Rupununi residents are now seeing signs of hope, as floodwaters begin to recede and heightened relief efforts kick in.
An aerial view of the devastation caused by massive flooding in Lethem
Already, millions of dollars of relief items have been flown in for distribution, and more are due today. Guyana Times International understands that the Guyana Defence Force will send in a helicopter today to support the work of the Emergency Management Operation Centre (EMOC) to assist efforts to access those hard to reach places.
Regional Executive Officer Ronald Harsaywack said about 12 inches of water had receded by Monday night; however, regional authorities, with support from the Civil Defence Commission, Guyana Red Cross and other agencies, continue to monitor the situation and provide the necessary emergency relief to the affected residents.
In Lethem, there are eight shelters with more than 149 persons; another 142 displaced persons are being housed at private residences. As at 14:00h on Tuesday, 2500 meals were distributed to residents in shelters as well as those at private residences. Residents are also being provided with treated water, cots, nets, and blankets.
Though the Lethem Power Station remains under four feet of water, power continues to be provided 16 hours per day to specific areas. According to REO Harsaywack, there are still about 20 drums of fuel available, and these are expected to last approximately four days. The Guyana Water Inc is providing water to half of the network – Central Lethem – while Culvert City is currently without potable water. Water is being provided from 05:00hours to 20:30 hours.
PPP team
PPP presidential candidate Donald Ramotar and Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud in discussions with officials of Lethem. Also in photo is Gerry Gouveia of Roraima Group of Companies
A People’s Progressive Party group which included presidential candidate Donald Ramotar and Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud visited Aishalton in the South and subsequently Lethem to assess the situation and confirm their level of intervention. In Aishalton, residents explained their plight and called for quick action. Authorities there told Guyana Times International that some 99 farms in their community have been affected, and farmers had been advised to harvest their produce, mostly cassava and corn. Once the produce is harvested, villagers are expected to process and add value to the crops to feed their community, but this seems like a daunting task since more manpower is needed. As such, one farmer suggested that older children in schools be recruited to help in this regard. They have also asked the visiting PPP officials to render assistance through the provision of a mill to increase the rate of crop processing.
Ramotar committed to providing assistance with the mill, but stated that further discussion is required with the Ministry of Education with regard to school children assisting in the food processing effort. Residents are also concerned about overflowing wells and latrines. The necessary interventions in this regard are to be made at the earliest possible time.
Hardest hit
In the rest of the Deep South sub- district, more than 200 farms have been flooded in villages such as Shea, Awarewanau and Karaudarnau. In South Central, Sand Creek is said to be hardest hit, as official data suggest that 123 homes with some 600 persons and 114 farms have been affected by the historic Rupununi floods. More than 200 farms have been affected in other villages in that sub- district, even as reports state that water is receding in villages like Potarinau. Guyana Times International understands that three houses at Katuur, also in South Central, have collapsed.
Way over in the North, 108 farms and gardens are flooded in Aranaputa, and another 89 in Yakarinta. The situation is similar in much of the other North Rupununi villages, except for Kwatamang, where the water is said to be high and still rising, covering all farms. In the South Pakaraimas, six homes collapsed at Pai Pang, while in Karasabai, the water level has been stabilised. Two families were sheltered in that village, and 86 farms have been affected.
At Lethem, Messrs Persaud and Ramotar visited two of the shelters and interacted with those affected. The regional executive officer, in updating the visiting delegation, said that extensive rainfall over the past few weeks in northern Brazil, particularly in the state of Roraima, has caused the water levels in the Rio Branco, Rio Negro and the Takutu and Ireng rivers to rise to ‘ dangerous levels’. This has resulted in ‘millions of gallons’ of water flooding more than 60 per cent of Lethem.
