Flooding takes a toll on Queenstown residents

By Kenesha Fraser

 

Heavy rainfall over Wednesday night and yesterday morning, compounded by a non-functioning koker in a nearby village worsened flooding in Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, raising water levels to eight inches high in places.

Speaking with Stabroek News, Joycelyn Grant of Queenstown Housing Scheme said the area had been flooded for the past two weeks.

“I made a report to the village chairman and he promised to forward it to the regional chairman. He said he did but nothing was done,” Grant said. “I will keep nagging until they do something. The water went down but came up back. I have no idea why the water is up on the land for two weeks. The rain wasn’t falling then but because it’s the rainy season now, everything is worse.”

The woman said she also made several calls to the regional chairman who said that a pump is working at Capoey.

Efforts made to contact Regional Chairman Parmanand Persaud proved futile.

“If a pump is working then the water should ease but it didn’t. There’s no koker in Queenstown and I believe that there is need for this village to have one,” Grant said.

The woman added that she is counting her losses and needs compensation for the loss of her poultry.

Joycelyn Grant’s flooded yard.
Joycelyn Grant’s flooded yard.
Reynold Jones in his kitchen garden pointing to several pepper plants that perished in the flood.
Reynold Jones in his kitchen garden pointing to several pepper plants that perished in the flood.

“I had 100 chicken and 35 died. I lose 45 duck eggs. I would usually sell ducks and chickens to make my earnings so this is a big blow to me. I need compensation. This is not right. We complained and they didn’t do anything and it get worse. I will keep on talking until I see actions are taken,” Grant said.

Reynold Jones, a resident in the area said that he is greatly affected by the flood and is hoping that the water will retreat soon.

“The water was on the land for two weeks but when the rain started to fall, all hell broke loose. I have a kitchen garden and all my peppers, cabbages and bora plants are affected. There is one simple thing the people in authority need to do. If the kokers are not functioning the water wouldn’t be able to get off land. I am fed up with this system. If there is a koker at Three Bridge one at Cullen and one at Capoey then there isn’t supposed to be a flood,” Jones argued. “This is terrible. The regional chairman promises to come every time but he never comes.

The NDC in this community is not functioning as it should and so whatever they are told to do or not to do, that is what they have to do.”

The man added that just over two months ago, the trenches in the village were cleaned.

“If the trenches were dig then this should not be happening at all. I’m going to say again that once the kokers or pumps are not functioning this is going to happen,” Jones said.

Along the Queenstown Public Road, 80-year-old Rhoda Ramanand and her 85-year-old husband said that they are out of options since the water level is up to their door front.

“Whole week the place flood. The trench water level with the land. If they use to clean the trench it should have been better but they don’t clean it,” Ramanand said. “Me is 80 and meh husband is 85 and in this dirty water me does gotta deh walking. My husband can’t even come out from the house now because he foot nah propa. The odda day he tell the chairman about the flood and the chairman tell he that he will send a pump to help out but like tha pump neva come. When me husband went to see him this week, he nah get fuh see he because my husband can’t climb the step and the chairman never come down to see he. I am fed up. I need the authorities to come and do something. This is miserable.”

Residents of the area are hoping that a solution can be found soon.