Waterlogged Lethem trail to reopen today – Min. Indar

May 31, 2024 News

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar and team assessing the situation along the Linden to Lethem trail on Thursday. (Ministry of Public Works)

Kaieteur News – Vehicles that have been stranded along the Kurupukari to Lethem Trail, Region Nine should be able to traverse the terrain by noon today, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar said.

The Minister’s statement follows the disruption of traffic along the trail due to flooding caused by heavy and persistent rainfall that washed away sections of the trail and several bridges on Wednesday making the road impassable.

The Ministry of Public Works in a statement on Wednesday announced that there is a significant disruption along the Kurupukari to Lethem trail noting that at around 15:40hrs, a truck traversing the trail attempted to cross an eroded section within the Iwokrama Concession and collapsed as a result of sustained pressure from a storm surge caused by heavy rains.

The truck fell into the huge sink hole and within a matter of hours was completely submerged as flood waters began washing away that section of the road. As water levels rose quickly, other bridges at different locations were washed away too.  On Thursday, the ministry said that it completed a series of site visits to assess and address infrastructural concerns in Region 9 due to recent flooding caused by heavy rainfall.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, led the inspections and focused primarily on bridges and areas showing signs of erosion.

“Three bridges were identified with significant erosion issues,” the ministry said while adding “Contractors have been instructed to address these problems immediately to prevent further degradation and ensure safety.”

The inspection covered all bridges from Annai, beginning with bridge number 19, to the washout bridge, number 3. “In addition to erosion repairs, some bridges require the widening of their channels to facilitate better water discharge,” the Ministry said. The ministry said that this measure is crucial to enhancing the resilience of the infrastructure against potential flooding.

“All relevant contractors have been informed of the necessary work to be undertaken,” stated the Public Works Ministry. Indar also visited the washout area and spoke with stranded drivers and passengers, indicating that vehicles should be able to traverse the area by noon today.  Recent heavy rains have caused significant floods in Region Nine and Region Ten. With regard to Region Nine, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) said that a number of communities were impacted.  Potarinaru in South Central Rupununi, is flooded almost entirely, the CDC said.  “Other communities such as Aishalton, Parishara and Nappi villages are affected as well some access roads and bridges in areas such as Kurupukari are covered by flood waters,” the CDC said.

Meanwhile, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo said government will continue to monitor the flooding situation and provide the necessary interventions to communities affected.  Jagdeo addressed the matter during his weekly press conference at Freedom House on Thursday.  “Over the past week, we have had some unusual levels of rainfall and this has caused untold hardships to many people across the country. I want to assure them that all efforts are being made to address these issues to ensure that we can bring relief to those who were affected across our country,” the general secretary highlighted.

He further underscored that the Cabinet has deployed several ministers to these areas to address this situation. Jagdeo then pointed out, “We expected that after the prolonged drought, there would be prolonged rainfall. And a lot of work had been done in preparation for this. But in some areas, in particularly, in the Rupununi, we have had even beyond what the usual capacity to handle this situation.”

In the case of Linden in Region Ten, critical D&I works are being undertaken in the township to address the flooding issues in several areas.  The region experienced approximately four and a half inches of rainfall which prompted immediate interventions. The Ministry of Agriculture along with other agencies including the Ministry of Public Works, has mobilised machinery to desilt canals and engage in manual cleaning with residents in West Watooka and Fair’s Rust. Works are currently ongoing in affected areas, with plans for further efforts in other affected areas within Wismar shore – Silvertown, Victory Valley, and First, Second, and Third Alleys. Manual cleaning and other works will continue in areas surrounding Kara Kara Creek including Speightland, Old Kara Kara, Retrieve, and the Oval. The Ministry of Public Works has also deployed emergency teams towards the restoration of the Linden-Lethem Corridor.

The route along the Kurupukari–Lethem Corridor was significantly disrupted on Wednesday when a truck attempted to cross a damaged section of the road within the Iwokrama Concession. Meanwhile, the government has since implemented several strategies to prevent major flooding in Georgetown with the functionality of 12 pumps there.  The Ministry of Agriculture has also assigned three engineers to monitor the systems on a 24-hour basis in the city, ensuring the timely operation of pumps and sluices.  These pumps will be serviced regularly to avoid mechanical failures.  High levels of water have been recorded on the Corentyne Coast in areas such as Black Bush Polder and the Central Corentyne areas.  As such, efforts are ongoing to clear several outfalls in Eversham, Adventure, and No. 43 to improve drainage capacities, with pumps complementing these systems.

• Concession, Deodat Indar, Lethem, Ministry of Public Works, Trail, Waterlogged