Canal No.2 complains about constant flooding
By Samantha Alleyne
Stabroek News
November 20, 2002
Residents of Clay Brick Road, Canal No. 2, are experiencing flooding due to heavy rainfall and are calling on the regional authorities to do something since it is happening frequently.
The residents told Stabroek News yesterday that this was the second flood for the year with the first in May/June. Water was right up to their doors and some residents said they had lost livestock.
While not all the yards in the area were flooded yesterday, this newspaper observed a number of people wading through the water to go about their daily chores.
Some were concerned that if heavy rains over the two days could cause such flooding year-end rains would wreak havoc.
"Every year, this thing does happen, but nobody don't really come here. Once we been go up and reach the President (Bharrat Jagdeo) but we ent get nothing from them," one resident said. The resident said he was worried his livestock would be affected as in the past and that the water is already harming his fruit trees and his kitchen garden.
Another resident believes the problem could be rectified if the land is built up. "All I would have to say is that the land needs to be built up and we have to do it ourselves because nobody would do it," the man said. He suggested that the main in the trench should be dug deeper and the mud thrown on the parapet for them to build up the low areas. The trench, he said would have to be dug by the regional authorities and this would also enable the water to run off in a shorter period of time.
"This is nobody fault, it is just that the land low," he said.
Region Three Chairman, Esau Dookie, told Stabroek News that the problem could be fixed if an aqueduct, an opening under the dam, is created that would allow the water to flow more freely.
According to him there are ongoing consultations with the Sea Defence Board to have the opening made and it is hoped that it could be done by mid 2003. He said that the Drainage and Irrigation Board had been doing the project but because of financial problems it could not be executed.
Dookie said he had visited Canal Number Two on Monday and the most the authorities can do is to keep the canals clean and ensure that there is maximum drainage in the areas to help alleviate the problem.
Dookie said a weed clearing boat was deployed in Canal No.1 yesterday morning and this would soon be used in Canal No.2.
According to him at one time the particular area had no residents and when the residents started receiving their leases the leases would have stated that the area was low and susceptible to constant flooding.
