Rupununi drought nearing emergency state, residents warn

Where’s the water? The dried-up Rupununi River at Karaudarnau yesterday.

Facing dwindling water supplies as a severe drought continues to grip the Rupununi, indigenous communities in the area are growing increasingly concerned and government yesterday announced that tractors and trailers with water tanks will be dispatched to the remote villages to provide water.

Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon, at his post-cabinet press briefing, described the state of affairs as “seasonal” but some residents warned that the situation was approaching levels not seen since 1998 when a state of emergency was declared because of the drought as a result of the El Nino phenomenon in that year.

Creeks, rivers, pools, wells and other sources of water were dry and only a few had very low levels of water, Stabroek News was told. Stabroek News first reported on the situation last month, when a number of indigenous leaders from the area had expressed concern at the rapidly declining water levels.