Littering compounds heavy rains, high tide for overtopping in city – M&CC

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) said in excess of four inches of rainfall over a 24-hour period combined with high tide and wanton littering to cause overtopping in several parts of the city yesterday.

In a statement, the M&CC said “the embarrassingly large amount of garbage in the city waterways, including Styrofoam, plastic and other non-biodegradable materials are affecting the efficient and effective drainage of the city of Georgetown. Essentially this is why the council continues to appeal to all citizens to desist from dumping their waste in the canals.” It added that the constabulary has stepped up its patrol in the city and anyone found littering the streets or dumping garbage in canals would be prosecuted.

The M&CC noted that with the exception of the pumps at Riverview and JP Santos, which are being serviced at the council’s workshop, all of the   Council’s hydro-flow pumps are operable. It, however, said that the pumps at Kitty and Liliendaal are electrically operated and a major source of concern is that they pumps are connected to one power supply line. In the event of a power outage, the pumps would not work and such a situation would hamper the drainage in certain wards of the city.

Another power supply line to the existing one is necessary to allow a switch over in the event of a blackout in one phase of the power system so the pumps can continue to operate, but so far the council has not been able to receive this facility from the relevant agencies, the release stated.

Meanwhile, the M&CC said over the past four months the City Engineer’s Department carried out desilting and other drainage works costing in excess of $50M  on the Downer Canal, Caneview Canal, North Sideline Canal and the Lamaha and Cummings Canal. It, however, reiterated its appeal to citizens to avoid throwing their garbage onto parapets and into street and alleyway drains.  In noting that some persons have been dumping their refuse on the roadside and parapets in the city, the M&CC disclosed that it costs about $1M per day to pick up parapet waste in addition to what it has been paying to collect and dispose of household and other waste.