Spring tides, which have pounded sections of the coastline over the past few days, also flooded several villages in Berbice.
Work is ongoing to maintain the sea defences, Region Six Chairman Zulficar Mustapha told Stabroek News in a telephone interview yesterday. Because of the extensive high tides, several areas have been flooded but the waters receded during the day, he said. The chairman said he visited all the affected areas including Fort Ordnance, Number 66 and 67 villages and areas at Canje yesterday to determine what forms of relief could be deployed to those areas.
According to Mustapha, the tide rose to heights in the vicinity of 3.35m. He said that Fort Ordnance, Number 66 and 67 villages and areas at Canje experienced significant overtopping of the sea defence structures over the past few days and the embankments there had to be raised several feet.
At Fort Ordnance and Canje, machines were in operation to empolder the flooded areas, and according to the Regional Chairman, the Public Works Ministry will have to undertake extensive work on the sea defence there as a result of damage done to the area by the sea waters. He said government engineer, Walter Willis was in the area to assess the situation and he will be providing a feedback to Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn on the situation.
Mustapha noted that several residents have been affected by the situation and a few yards were under water yesterday. He said the regional authorities dispatched a medical team to the affected areas to determine what forms of medical assistance could be provided to residents, if necessary.
Additionally, Stabroek News understands that there was overtopping at Glasgow and the regional administration is working to raise the embankments along the shoreline. Work has already started in that area and will continue over the next few days.
Meantime, along the West Coast Demerara, residents said yesterday that the high tides were not as destructive as on previous occasions while in the Leguan area – where spring tides have been known to be destructive, only a few yards were under inches of water.
Along the East Bank of Demerara, several areas were yesterday morning under water for the third day in a row as the spring tides, which was forecast to be at its peak yesterday, flooded several areas between the villages of Meadowbank and Little Diamond.
The Ministry of Agriculture in a release yesterday said that works are being undertaken by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) as an excavator was in operation at Farm and Herstelling while other equipment was mobilized to support vulnerable areas.
The authorities have advised residents living in vulnerable, low-lying and riverain and coastal communities especially those living close to sea and river defences to take the necessary precautions over the next few days as the spring tide is expected to continue until Sunday.
The Ministry said that NDIA engineers have been deployed to monitor internal drainage systems across the Coastland and to effect necessary works to decrease water accumulation resulting from overtopping of river and sea defence infrastructure.
