Water receding in some Region Five communities – Regional Administration collaborating with CDC and Ministry of Agriculture to bring relief

Georgetown, GINA, June 13, 2016

Regional Chairman, Region Five, Vickchand Ramphal told the Government Information Agency (GINA) this morning in an telephone interview that water is receding in some of the affected communities in the region.

He explained that the regional administration is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to bring relief to the affected residents.

Ramphal who had just returned from an on-the-ground inspection prior to GINA’s call advised that the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agriculture Development Authority (MMA/ADA) and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) have installed four pumps in the Trafalgar/Union and Lovely Lass areas. Additionally excavators are also working on clearing the drains simultaneously.

This, he said has assisted in the water receding from affected communities within the areas.

The Regional Chairman further advised that several communities along the Mahaicony River are affected; farmers have lost livestock and cash crops as well as some amount of paddy. The Chairman reported too that the states of the access dams to the farms and in communities are currently impassable due to the floods and continuous rains.

Meanwhile, in the indigenous community of Moraikobai, over 160 households have been affected. The CDC is currently working in the community providing assistance to the residents.

In addition, the regional administration is currently working with other stakeholders towards determining the impact of the flooding which is due to the heavy rainfalls and high tide, to bring relief to the affected persons. All residents are asked to be extremely cautious at this time.

GINA currently has a team on the ground and more information will be provided in a subsequent report.