Some vendors whose stalls are situated in the Stabroek Market were yesterday affected by high tides which caused flooding in sections of the market.
Vendors whose stalls are located just off the Stabroek Wharf on Monday afternoon saw water flood that section of the market which caused severe inconvenience to their business. Vendors believe that coupled with the high tide, one of the main drainage systems was blocked.
When Stabroek News visited the market yesterday, water was seen covering a section of the Stabroek Wharf and vendors stated that they had to clean the area after some of the water was drained out of the market. A pump system was observed within that section of the market as vendors reported that it was placed there to assist in taking the water out of the market faster.
One vendor, Doodnauth Singh stated that the water started coming into the market on Monday afternoon and after the tide had dropped, water still remained in the market. He said that after water was completely off the land, it left the ground and walkway muddy and they had to clean the area themselves without assistance from the Mayor and City Council. Singh related that no officials from the City Council came to visit the area and speak with the vendors or even render assistance.
However a press release from the Mayor and City Council stated that the flooding was caused by excessive high tides which resulted in overtopping. The release noted that the council was looking at a mechanism that would be able to address flooding at the market.
According to the release, the flooding caused “significant disruption of the market operations” and sales would have to cease temporarily. It further noted that the council remains committed to dealing with the issue in January of 2020.
