Teams to assess floods in Moraikobai

http://www.guyanachronicle.com/topstory.html#Anchor-Teams-29638

Teams to assess floods in Moraikobai
Guyana Chronicle, 30 May 2007

HEAVY rains in the hinterland continued to be the major flood threat
yesterday as teams moved to assess conditions in some badly affected
communities.

The Touchau (Chief) of Moraikobai, about 90 miles up the Mahaicony
River, reported yesterday that flash flood waters covered 21 of 80
homes in the Amerindian village, drowned farm animals and devastated
farms over the weekend.

Speaking by telephone from the village, Mr. Colin Andrews told the
Guyana Chronicle that flood waters rose sharply in the village Friday
night, entering homes in low-lying areas and forcing families to
evacuate.

He said that by early Saturday morning, flood waters had risen so high
that only parts of the roofs of those homes remained visible.

“This is the first time in recent memory we have ever experienced such
a heavy flood at Moraikobai. The water rose swiftly. It was terrible
and we are fortunate that no one drowned”, he said.

The flood was preceded by almost 96 hours of continuous rainfall and
the village had been under a heavy blanket of flood water from Saturday
through to yesterday, Andrews said.

He said that by yesterday afternoon the waters were receding and
residents had begun to inspect their farms to see what they could
salvage.

He said the situation had been reported to the Amerindian Affairs
Ministry and the Regional Administration of Region Five
(Mahaica/Berbice).

Amerindian Affairs Minister Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues told the Guyana
Chronicle yesterday that the Civil Defence Commission had been alerted
and a team is to visit to assess the conditions.

Regional Chairman of Region Five, Mr. Harrinarine Baldeo confirmed that
he also had received a report about the situation and was mobilising a
team to visit.

Meanwhile, an official said the level of the Mahaicony River by Monday
had risen some three feet over the level recorded on May 14 and was
yesterday less than a foot below the level at which it flooded
communities in late 2005 /early 2006.

Residents along the banks of the Mahaicony and Mahaica rivers said
yesterday they are bracing themselves for the inevitability of
flooding.

Mr. Tillack, a farmer at Pine Ground, Mahaicony, said by phone that
some bottom houses in the area were already under water.

He said that from his observations the Mahaicony River had risen by
twelve inches between Monday morning and yesterday afternoon.

“What else am I to say? There is nothing we can do about it,” he said.

A team of vets is scheduled to visit the Mahaicony River today
following growing numbers of complaints about the effects of the rising
waters on animals, particularly newborn calves.

“There is water already on the ground in some areas and calves are very
vulnerable to cold and disease when their mothers give birth to them
under watery conditions,” one farmer said.

Officials said that Dr. Tadesu Fantu, a vet attached to Region Five,
visited farms along the banks of the river Monday.

The follow-up team to visit the Mahaicony riverain areas today is made
up of vets from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Officials of the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agriculture Development
Authority, who visited the Mahaicony River yesterday, confirmed the
rising levels and said that they were monitoring the situation almost
daily, to either minimise or mitigate the effects of the anticipated
flood there.