Floods slowly subsiding in Woodland, Penal, Fyzabad

Scores of residents continued to be marooned inside their homes as flood waters began to slowly subside in the Woodland, Penal and St John’s Trace, Fyzabad areas yesterday.

However, steady drizzles of rain which oft-times gave way to heavy showers, prevented residents from starting clean-up of their homes as water levels once again threatened to rise.

Speaking to reporters shortly after touring St John’s Trace aboard a three tonne flat bed truck, Fyzabad MP Dr Lackram Bodoe said while there was “some improvement” in the area which had witnessed floods up to six feet high in some areas, expressed dismay at the incessant rainfall.

“That is a cause for concern because at the present time, there are about 40 houses affected with about 200 persons. So we are trying to provide three meals per day as those residents do not have access to their appliances which have been damaged in the floods,” he said.

“The response from the government has been very disappointing. Except for the Siparia Regional Corporation which had assisted us with some mattresses, we have had no official notification from the ODPM.”

Bodoe said a key obstacle hindering the draining of the flood waters was the partially functional sluice gates with four out of the seven gates being in operation.

“The water from the Oropouche basin, which is the water from Ackbar Trace and St John’s Trace, have to drain out and it has to go through the sluice gates. Three are not working and this is what created a problem, so it would have impeded the outflow of water from the Oropouche basin.”

The sluice gates sit across the Rio Negro river which drains into the Godineau river and then into the Gulf of Paria.

In full agreement was Rodney Ramjit who owns an upholstery shop downstairs his home at St John’s Trace. The shop was flooded over the weekend. He said while he was able to salvage some materials, other fabrics had been lost.

“It is the first time in 25 years we have had this type of flooding. But what really caused the flood was the flood gates not working.”

Meanwhile, Bodoe praised the efforts of both private and corporate citizens who provided ingredients for meals as well volunteers who cooked the meals and distributed them to families.

His sentiments were echoed by La Fortune/ Pluck road/ Woodland councillor Doodnath Mayhroo who was engaged in a lunch distribution from the tray of a dump truck yesterday. He however did not mince his words regarding the “poor’ response of the central government to the plight of the flood victims.

“People are still marooned in their homes here, four days after Divali.”