The Government of Guyana is convinced that the Mayor and City Council has no interest in keeping Georgetown flood-free. As a result, a decision has been taken for the Ministries of Agriculture, Local Government, and Public Works to arrive at a strategy that will allow the government to look after the interest of the people in the way City Hall really should.
Today, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha hosted a meeting with Mayor Ubraj Narine. Present at that meeting were Ministers of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall and Anand Persaud as well as Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, and other city officials.
A briefing with the media was held immediately after that meeting. Mayor Narine opted to leave. He said if the media wants to question him, “you know where to find me.”
The Ministers informed the media that the meeting was not fruitful.
Minister Mustapha said that the Mayor did not seem to have taken the government’s concerns seriously. The mayor was told that the government believes that M&CC is playing politics and allowing the city to flood. To this, the mayor responded with a burst of laughter. Minister Mustapha noted that the Mayor did not even try to mount a defense to the allegation.
Minister Mustapha further stated that when questions were posed to the Mayor about the supervision of the structures, he responded and said that the technical officers attached to the M&CC were responsible for the monitoring and supervision of the structures.
Mustapha dubbed that response unacceptable noting that the management of the City’s drainage is ultimately the responsibility of the Mayor. “He has to ensure that the Town and these critical structures are manned properly and that all systems are in place.”
The Minister noted that M&CC is supposed to inform the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) if a pump or sluice becomes inoperable but recently, that has not been the case. The Minister also said following an assessment of the pumps in Georgetown, technical officers from the NDIA discovered three pumps were down and that two of those pumps have been fixed after the NDIA intervened.
He also noted that in the latter part of 2020, the government increased the drainage capacity of Georgetown by installing three additional pumps. “Georgetown now has twelve pumps installed. We also have approximately 10 sluices,” Minister Mustapha said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall said that since taking office, the PPP/C Government has been doing the “heavy lifting” in Georgetown. He added that government had hoped that the Georgetown M&CC would’ve engaged in the sustainable management of the facilities that were put in place. The minister also said, moving forward, disciplinary action should be taken against those found neglecting their responsibilities as it relates to effectively managing the City’s drainage structures.
The Government Ministers said that a plan will be put in place to ensure the City’s drainage structures are managed effectively. Minister Mustapha emphasized that government cannot assume those responsibilities without due process being followed.
