Guyana residents on alert for flooding

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Wednesday February 1, 2012 – Unusually high rainfall for the first month of the year has resulted in the East Demerara Water Conservancy reaching threatening levels.

As a result, residents of the Mahaica and Mahaicony Creek were placed on alert and advised to take the necessary precautions for flooding as government announced plans yesterday to release water from the swollen East Demerara Water Conservancy into the Creek.

The opening of the Maduni Sluice to release the water during low tide starting yesterday will relieve the swelling EDWC dams.

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said: “This is the latest of the actions we have taken to maintain the conservancy at a safe level. In most of the places where we measure the amount of rainfall, the amount of rainfall for January 2012 has surpassed by several fold the long term average for January,” he said.

However, once the waters are under control once again the Maduni Sluice will be closed and the Dermerara River outlets relied on exclusively once again.

Residents of Mahaica Creek encountered a similar situation in 2005 and 2006 when they were forced to endure deep floodwaters following the release of water from the EDWC. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)