Having noted that the current drainage structure in Georgetown cannot cope with the intensity and volume of rainfall being recorded Cabinet has requested the formation of an entity which would oversee the maintenance of the existing structure while working to greatly increase its capacity by 2018.
At present, the city’s drainage system is the sole responsibility of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council but when this new entity is operationalized, the responsibility will be officially shared with central government at the level of the Ministry of Communities and Ministry of Public Infrastructure, well-placed sources have said.
Stabroek News understands that one of the major steps to be taken to increase the capacity of the drainage system is the reclamation of catchment areas (reservoirs) and the removal of encumbrances along major canals, exit points and revetments. While City Hall has been working to remove encumbrances erected by business persons within central Georgetown, a much bigger problem is the squatter settlements which have developed alongside many of the main drainage canals in the city.
