-flood under control
The National Drainage & Irrigation Authority (NDIA) on Thursday afternoon placed temporary logs with the use of tarpaulin and a mobile pump to stop the constant flowing of water when the high tides are in. This was after the main door of the koker collapsed and caused the entire western part of Peter’s Hall and Providence, East Bank Demerara to be flooded with water at a height of about one metre.
Speaking with the Chronicle yesterday, Head of the NDIA Mr. Lionel Wordsworth said that on Thursday afternoon temporary logs were put in place to keep the high tide out and the flooded areas
Head of NDIA Mr. Lionel Wordsworth
were completely drained out using a mobile pump with the help of the logs.
The koker after it had collapsed
Wordsworth added that the NDIA also secured the materials for the new permanent door and the NDIA was successful in bringing the flood under control.
On Wednesday afternoon hundreds of residents residing in west Peter’s Hall and west Providence lost millions of dollars in damaged property after the door of the main koker that separates the two villages collapsed causing the entire western part of the villages to be flooded, with water reaching one metre high in most homes.
Among the damaged items were fridges, television sets, couches, poultry, glass wares, carpets, etc. Many students and workers had to stay at home to help clean up after the flood; and most elderly persons in the villages were seen in tears.
One resident who was at the koker yesterday morning told the Chronicle that the incident occurred around 16:30 hrs on Wednesday. He said that when he heard that the koker door was broken, he waited till the water cleared up and went to assist in helping to repair the koker door since he knows a little about it.
“I won’t lie, everybody blaming the engineer for the delay in fixing the koker, but what they don’t understand is that when the door collapsed it fell into the groove security of the koker which made it take about five hours to come out. It’s not as if things like this don’t happen, this is God’s work we need to be prepared for any disaster,” the resident said.
(By Asif Hakim)