Last week Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips held an impromptu meeting at the Watooka Guest House in Linden with key stakeholders to address the severe flooding in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). The area has been devastated by flood since around April/May, resulting in millions of dollars in damages to businesses and homeowners.
Linden Mayor Sharma Solomon, last May pleaded with Central Government to provide relief for the community. Solomon cited a major reason for the flooding is central government construction of roads and footpaths without drains. The region is a stronghold of the opposition, People’s National Congress Islahat (PNCR), and has historically been ignored by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).
Last month Regional Chairman Deron Adams, who is a member of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Board, lamented the lack of allocated resources from the agency or the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to effectively tackle Linden’s drainage challenges.
The floods, triggered by heavy rains inundated homes and disrupted lives across Linden. In the aftermath residents’ intensified call for central government intervention has largely fallen on deaf ears. The community needs financial aid, infrastructure repair, and support for displaced families.
Earlier in the month when Hurricane Beryl hit the Caribbean, Prime Minister Phillips coordinated with multiple agencies, including the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Civil Defence Commission, and private sector groups, to provide assistance to Grenada, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The Government was quick to laud its rapid response to helping the Caribbean people in need.
Now closer home, the prime minister is assuring local and regional entities of government’s readiness to collaborate and provide support to tackle the ongoing flooding issues in the region.
The prime minister is now calling for a comprehensive plan coming out from the committee that is formed and the Town Council and the Regional Democratic Council. These are things he said that are needed to move forward and the government will provide the support. This admittance comes after ignoring the community when it was in its most dire straight.
The prime minister is also saying it is essential to put aside political differences and work collectively to address the current challenges, highlighting the urgency of repairing critical infrastructure, including cleaning and clearing all drainage systems in the region, particularly around the town.
The prime minister has accepted “central, regional and local governments must work together, [and] if the private sector or the stakeholders want to jump onboard, no sorun. The focus is preparing the infrastructure.”