West Coast Demerara suffered tremendously from rainfall

Mar 19, 2011 News

Residents located on West Coast Demerara (WCD) have over the past few days experienced great difficulties due to the heavy rainfall which resulted in a number of rice fields and streets being flooded.
Farmers also suffered losses to ground provision and kitchen crops which were covered with water for days. They also lost livestock some of which are still sick and dying.
At Vergenoegen, the main access road to the rice fields was in a terrible state with deep holes, while the paddy grains in the rice fields were under water.
One villager explained that the rice fields which run from Vergenoegen to Ruby village were badly affected by the flooding. Areas which only tractors could access were completely under water causing a number of rice field owners to incur great losses in their crops.
Kaieteur News understands that though the water has begun to recede, the rice is still under water, and if the rain continues, losses could amount to millions of dollars.
At De Kinderen village, which is said the be the hardest hit area, whenever there is heavy rainfall on West Coast Demerara, this newspaper learnt that though Government has assisted by having a pump placed at the village two days ago, and water has begun to withdraw, a majority of the residents have already endured a great deal.
One man, who gave his name as “Singh” told this publication that three days ago, the water rose to such a level that his chicken pens became flooded, resulting in over thirty chickens dying.
He then had to open his chicken and duck pens to allow the “survivors” a chance to “be safe from the water”.
Singh’s wife stated that during the past few days, the water gave off an obnoxious smell and they have an infant in their home, who is now ill with ‘sores’ visible on various parts of the baby’s body. Health officials are expected to visit the area to distribute medication to the residents.
The family explained that dozens of chicken and duck eggs “floated from the pens” and they incurred many losses due to the flood, not forgetting the number of sheep (kids) that died from the flood.
The water had risen to such a level that the standpipe in front of their black water tank was hidden under the dirty water. Even the latrine was flooded.
At an access road to the Tuschen area, it was in such a bad state that vehicles would have difficulties in traversing the route, the only form of transportation other than foot would be a tractor.
A student of Computer World who resides in the street explained that often whenever it rains, she, like others, in the area would have to don Wellingtons (long boots), in order to exit and enter their village.
She stated that the water which had accumulated during the last weekend has receded however she noticed from the height of the water in the trench, that the water has once again begun to rise.
A shop owner on the road across the “Tuschen” sign told this newspaper that recently the water was so high that it overflowed his drains and entered his shop which contains dry goods and other commodities, but with the little sunshine yesterday, the water went down.
When he showed Kaieteur News the water in his drain, he then noticed that it had risen a bit and said “the water raising again”. He then added that though the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) brought a pump to rid the land of water, villagers would still suffer from the heavy rainfalls.
It was reported by an official at the Regional Democratic Council for Region Three that the water had already “drawn off from high hit areas” even though the entire coastland was flooded at some point.
The impact of the incessant rainfall would depend on the height of the land in various villages, for instance, Meten-Meer-Zorg villagers complained that on Sunday, last, the water in the areas that were flooded was “knee-deep”.
Kaieteur News understands that though the water has receded, these villages are subject to flooding once the rain continues, especially because the kokers are opened during the low tides and closed during high tides causing a feedback of water from the backlands.