Heavy rain, blocked koker flood Charity
By Oscar P. Clarke
Heavy early morning showers at Charity on the Pomeroon River coupled with a non-functioning koker has left sections of the community under water. The rainfall, which began at around 0230 hrs yesterday, left many businesses and residences under three to four inches of water. The non-functioning koker, located near the Charity Marketing Complex, has been in that state for some five months due to a dispute with the contractor Guyana Construction Company (GUYCO) which had been doing rehabilitation works. Efforts to contact Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) Chairman, Ally Baksh, were unsuccessful because he was in the city. When Stabroek News visited the area at about 1530 hrs yesterday, water was beginning to recede but there was evidence of the raised water level in the kitchen of the Xenon Hotel where a school of small fish was swimming around. Workers from the establishment were trying to clean up. A source at the Neighbourhood Democratic Council office at Charity told this newspaper that heavy overnight rains had caused the flooding. The official stated that the rain was the heaviest he had experienced in 12 years. The senior official who preferred anonymity pointed out that the area had four kokers which were all working to remedy the situation. Extra men had been employed to man these facilities on a 24-hour basis in the event of further rain, he said. He also said that the blocked koker at the Charity Marketing centre was of great concern. The contract for this project, he said had been awarded on November 10, 1999 and had been due for completion on April 10. However, he said, problems with the contractor, GUYCO, had resulted in the Region Two administration cancelling the contract. BK International was then given the contract, but further problems arose surrounding the division of price. The official said that these were close to being resolved, and work on the project should resume shortly.
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