Under cloudy skies, an amphibious dredger cleared the Bhagmania River to allow faster drain-off in the flooded Woodland areas yesterday.
But the breach in the banks of the New Cut Channel posed challenges, as the water continued to cross into Rahamut Trace, which is the lowest point.
When Guardian Media visited, one section of the river could not be accessed by the dredger. Residents had planted trees on the banks and the stipulated 50-feet river reserve was non-existent at some points.
Resident Kubair Ramkissoon, who lives next to the river, built a gate, restricting access behind his home. Coconut trees grew on the banks but when asked why he planted them on the river reserve, Ramkissoon said to hold up the land.
Another resident, who requested anonymity, said irregular building practices were contributing to the floods.
“You know how long I reporting to the corporation that they build a wall on the riverbank. Yes, that safeguarding their house but it causing flooding in other areas,” he said.
Meanwhile, Adesh Singh, Woodland Flood Action Group president, said a pump at Woodland that usually drains the area has been dysfunctional.
“There is only one pump in Woodland and it needs a starter and other parts. The last time an operator tried to start it he was injured. The two other pumps are at Tulsa Trace, which sends water into Woodland,” he said.
Singh said the pump is not accessible to the public, as it is restricted by API security. But he said it will be more economical to get a new pump to drain Woodland, rather than to fix the old pump.
Avocat/San Francique councillor Doodnath Mayrhoo said the work done by the amphibious dredger was insufficient.
“There is a reserve on either side of the bank that is supposed to be 50 feet for equipment to access the river. As you can see, on this side there is no access. While the man has a claim that the excavator dredges and widens the river every year, I don’t know the legalities. What I do know is that cleaning a part of the river makes no sense.
“Right now, Rahamut Trace has three feet of water. You don’t do this kind of work in the wet season by digging dirt from the lagoon and packing on the bank. It washed away and water from the river entered the land, filling up the homes and streets.”
Mayrhoo said there are four excavators parked on the bank of the New Cut Channel but no work was done. He called on Minister Rohan Sinanan to do a site visit and see for himself what was happening.
Contacted yesterday, Works Minister Rohan Sinanan told Guardian Media there are two pumps which were installed to drain the Oropouche Drainage Basin. He said the pump that is being referred to is one derelict pump at Trinidad Point.
“This is the same location as the 14 sluice gates. Years ago, only three to four gates were actually functioning to open and close with the tide. Therefore, a pump was used to help move water over the gates. However, all 14 gates are now working and they eliminate the need for a pump at that location. The volume of water being discharged through the 14 gates far exceeds the capacity of the pump,” he said.
He admitted a lack of access to some parts of the river because of ad-hoc development was a challenge they faced.
The Minister said dredging of critical watercourses had been completed before the start of the rainy season, noting that 396 projects have been identified for this fiscal year. So far, he said 218 projects have been completed and a further 178 projects are projected to be completed soon. (RDS)
