The Public Infrastructure and Natural Resources ministries are assessing the damage to the access road from Lethem to Aishalton caused by recent flash flooding and are working with regional authorities to address the situation.
Aishalton’s Toshao Michael Thomas had posted on his Facebook page on Monday morning that there was a need for emergency works along the main access road, approximately 12 miles from Aishalton, after flash flooding had destroyed a bridge and damaged a culvert.
Region Nine Chairman Bryan Allicock had also confirmed the developments and said that the regional administration was working along with the authorities to find a remedy to the situation.
In an invited comment, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, who was in Lethem at the time, related that he was shown photos of the road and culvert and that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure was assessing the damage and emergency works were planned.
A press release from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure asked that Aishalton remain patient as the ministries are working assiduously to assess and evaluate the damage that was caused by flash flooding in the area.
It further noted that the ministries’ regional engineers are on the ground and are currently in consultation with the Regional Executive Officer on the way forward for a timely resolution of the situation.
“The Ministry of Public Infrastructure along with the Ministry of Natural Resources understands the importance of this access road to the livelihood of the residents in and around Aishalton and jointly the Ministries will ensure that the road will become passable in a short while,” the release added.
Allicock had noted that they had started initial works on the road earlier in the year but its progress was stymied by the inclement weather.
He had said that over the weekend there was heavy rainfall in Deep South Rupununi, which caused intense flash floods to wash away the bridges and culvert.
In order to prevent recurrences, Allicock explained that there is a need for concrete structures since the wooden ones are easily broken. “That is what we are embarking on. We can’t start now because of the rains. But the plan is that we do the concrete foundation and just put the top of the bridge as wood until we get more money,” he added.
