Rampant littering contributing to city floods -Mayor Green
Stabroek News
May 22, 2003
Waste dumped in the city's drains once again have contributed to flooding in Georgetown and other areas following heavy rainfall in the last few days.
This is according to Mayor Hamilton Green, who while admitting that he was not satisfied with the work of the City Engineer's Department said there were other contributing factors to the waterlogged streets.
It is now customary that after heavy rainfall many streets are still flooded hours after the rain has stopped.
But Green said it should also be understood that Georgetown was below sea level and even if all the kokers and canals in the city were clean once the tide was high water would settle in the city streets.
He is of the opinion that many persons seemed to be overreacting to the situation adding that many also contributed to the situation.
Green said people threw all kinds of rubbish into the canals and trenches thus impeding the free flow of water.
According to Green the city has six working pumps, one in Ruimveldt, two in Water Street and one each in Kingston, Meadowbrook and Princes Street.
Also there is a big pump operating at Liliendaal.
It was disclosed that one of the biggest problems with the pumps is the clogging of the grills.
"The major problem is that people just keep blocking the trenches and canals with all sorts of waste including builder's waste and sand."
He stated that all the canals the council had cleaned during the campaign held sometime ago are now blocked again. He said that this problem was also compounded by squatting in the city. However, the council was not sitting around and allowing things to get out of hand, Green said, adding that four big machines were clearing clogged canals and kokers.
