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alexk
Guest
De-silting of major watercourses in the Oropouche Basin has started a month before the rainy season begins, but dissatisfied residents of Penal affected by last year’s massive floods say the $35 million programme should have started earlier.
During a tour of Penal yesterday, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan supervised the de-silting of the Black Water Channel at Tulsa Trace. However, residents told him two pumps which control the floodgates were dysfunctional, so even if the rivers are de-silted the floods will continue.
Rajkumar Ramdial said, “We happy that the rivers are being cleared, but if they don’t fix the floodgate pumps this project will be a waste of time.”
He said one of the three pumps at the site was functional but the Ministry of Works had not hired an operator at the site.
“I come and open the gates. They know the gates not working since last year and the same Minister came here and promised he will fix it and nothing was done. Now one month before the rainy season he comes here to show off that they cleaning the river,” Ramdial said.
Another resident identified only as Dave told Sinanan that he walked the banks of the Oropouche River and identified 19 spots where the river had broken its bank during the last floods.
“If you would drop loads of dirt to fill back the embankment that will save us,” Dave told Sinanan, who agreed to let his engineers assess the situation.
In an interview with the media after, Sinanan said 15 watercourses will be cleared over the upcoming weeks. Saying he hoped that all projects will be completed before the rains begin, Sinanan said Cabinet had given approval to have a $35 million de-silting programme which comprises of 290 projects nationwide.
Asked whether the floodgates will be repaired before next month, Sinanan said yes.
“We have several pumps here. We are working with the Ministry of Agriculture to have the agricultural pumps up and running. We got approval for the de-silting programme and a new pump and gate programme which will last for a three-year period,” Sinanan said.
He noted that some of the pumps at the floodgates were 30 and 35 years old.
“We will be replacing and repairing all of them. Some gates have not had work done for 15 years. We have identified 15 or 20 pumps that have to be replaced and repaired and 80 per cent of the floodgates have to be replaced or repaired. That is an ongoing programme,” Sinanan said.
But he noted that the floodgates along cannot solve flooding, adding, “Flooding is impossible to prevent but we can mitigate against it.”
He said replacing the pumps can cost about $4 million, but assured residents the main watercourses in the Oropouche Basin will be cleared before the rainy season.
Last year, hundreds of residents faced extensive damage to their homes, livestock and property after flood waters rose in the Oropouche Basin, covering an expanse stretching from Upper Barrackpore, Moruga, Penal, Debe and Woodland. It took more than a week for the floods to subside in Woodland.