| – water in homes, snakes and caimans in yardsThe recent incessant rains may be an ‘act of God,Russell Westbrook Thunder Swingman Jersey,’ but some irate residents of 18th Avenue Diamond New Scheme are blaming the Grove/Diamond NDC, rather than a ‘higher power’ for making their yards and homes prone to flooding.They say that the NDC officials have repeatedly ignored their pleas to clean a clogged drain behind the houses located at the western side of the street.They have come to dread the rains, since poor drainage causes their yards and homes to flood easily. The conditions have also created the perfect breeding ground for serpents and caimans.And it was worse yesterday. Many of the residents woke up to find water in their halls, kitchens and bedrooms. When Kaieteur News visited the community yesterday,Tristan Thompson Cavaliers Swingman Jersey, some of the affected persons were frantically placing sandbags at their doorways to keep the water out. Others were bailing water out of their patios.Shaleeza Mohamed, a resident, said that she recently spent exorbitant sums to have her yard raised to keep the water out. Nevertheless,James Harden USA Jersey, her bathroom and washroom areas were under inches of water yesterday.“It cost me a lot…if the rain fall till tomorrow (Monday) my whole house will flood. Every time the rain fall my yard flood. Every single night my son kills a snake in the yard.”A resident’s flooded yardShe was more fortunate than her neighbor, Yoland Burnett, whose bedrooms were all under inches of water, and was traversing her home in a pair of long boots when Kaieteur News visited.“It’s very uncomfortable. The children had to be in bed whole day.”Another resident also had similar complaints about the drainage system in the area.“Last Christmas my children had to spend their holiday at relatives (because their home was flooded). They got alligators and snakes at the back of the fence.”Taking Kaieteur News to an area behind their houses, they pointed to a barely-discernable, grass filled ditch,Clyde Drexler USA Jersey, which they said the NDC had not dug in ages. This ditch leads all the way to a trench at the side of access road to Diamond New Scheme,David Robinson USA Jersey, and this trench is connected by culverts to a canal that empties into the Demerara River.The solution to flooding in 18th Street is for the NDC to have this ditch dug, the resident explained.Kaieteur News observed that residents on the eastern side of 18th Street appeared to be relatively unaffected by the flooding.The ones whose yards were flooded pointed out that they pay rates and taxes to the NDC. Yesterday, some of them threatened to withhold payment until the clogged ditch is dug.The lament about the inaction by the NDC continued when Kaieteur News visited other sections of the Grove/Diamond schemes.Residents said that despite their numerous complaints,Authentic Marcus Morris Pistons Jersey, which even attracted the attention of the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker,Jeremy Lin Nets Jersey, nothing has been done to give them any relief.According to a resident whose yard was flooded, it has been several months since employees of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority have done any drainage works in the area.The woman related that her husband usually cleans their drains but other sections along the same drainage path are clogged with high weeds and silt. She disclosed that about two years ago some men cleared the drain and informed them they can only do a section since it requires an excavator to do the job.Meanwhile,Charles Barkley USA Jersey, another said that owing to the deplorable condition of Avenue ‘A’ in Diamond new Scheme,Patrick Ewing USA Jersey, taxi drivers refused to traverse the street, forcing her to walk home after coming off a demanding job at midnight.“The taxi turned in to enter the scheme and stopped abruptly when the car could not travel further. The taxi driver was generous enough to take me to the police station to see if they would take me home. When I reach there they had a pickup PKK 727 parked and three motor bikes in the compound but the police said no vehicle was working.” |
