Villages along the Upper Mazaruni in Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) suffered three floods in July, early August and last week though the waters from the latest flood are receding.

An official who returned from the Region recently told Stabroek News that due to the floods, the staple, cassava, was rotting and residents were trying to reap what could be salvaged. Other crops were also affected. He said while flood relief was distributed to several villages, Waramadong and Kamarang, which were affected recently, are waiting for some relief.

The official said that villages like Paruima, Jawalla, Phillipai, Kako and others were affected by the floods but had received some relief.

The official expressed concern that while residents are trying to reap as much as possible, there could be a shortage of food in the future since the fields were flooded. In some areas, he related, water covered farms by as much as ten feet. Efforts to contact Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai and other Ministry officials were futile yesterday.

According to the official, the entire Upper Mazaruni had been affected by the floods. The area, in western Guyana, has several communities populated mainly by Amerindians. Miners also work in that area.

A source at an airline that has operations in the area said that the airstrip at Aurora was under water for over two weeks. The airstrip is mainly used by miners.