Authorities battle floods from intense rainfall

Intense rainfall for several hours has left most parts of the city and several coastal villages flooded; the authorities say they are monitoring the situation but the amount of rainfall will not allow for relief immediately.

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha told the News Room that because of the high tide the sluices could not have been opened earlier than 09:00 hrs. However, he said the pumps have been in operation to get as much water off.

Zulfikar said as much as five inches of rainfall was recorded but the infrastructure in some parts is only designed to take off just about two inches of water in a 24-hour period and therefore pumping the water off the land is crucial.

The Ministry of Public Works has dispatched engineers and technical officers to assess the situation on the ground in light of heavy rainfall and a report is expected in one hour for Georgetown.

An internal Ministerial Task Force with the Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Public Works, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority and the Mayor and City Council.

Everything is being done to ensure that the risk of damage and interference to homes and businesses are minimized.