Gov’t team to visit Coomacka over severe erosion
The Government will next Wednesday deploy a team of engineers and other officials from various Ministries in the community of Coomacka, Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region Ten), to conduct a final scoping mission for the planning and execution of projects to address impassable roads and frequent flooding during the rainy season caused by intense erosion.
A release from the Ministry of the Presidency said that Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who has responsibility for the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and disaster risk reduction, yesterday convened a meeting with personnel from key Ministries, where he noted that a plan must be presented as soon as possible for works in the area so that the plight of the residents can be addressed.
“This matter arose at our last Platform [National Disaster Risk Reduction Coordination Platform (NDRRCP)] meeting and arising out of that meeting, we decided that we should have an inter-agency task force so that we can bring a solution to the problem as we see it.
We have to come up with a plan to deal with this matter. I was disturbed by what I heard and I think it is enough for us to take emergency action to address the issues affecting the residents in this region,” Harmon was quoted as saying.
The Minister noted that while there have been different approaches by the various agencies in the past, it is time for a more holistic direction so that long-term relief for the residents can be guaranteed.
The release said that the Government over the past few months, through the Mi n i s t r y o f P u b l i c Infrastructure, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the CDC has been conducting works and monitoring the community.
However, the problems are worsening at a rapid rate and as such, urgent action has been recommended. Head of the CDC, Colonel ChabilallRamsarup, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Joslyn McKenzie, acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Geoffrey Vaughn, Chairman of Region Ten, Renis Morian, Head of the Land Management Division at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Derrick Lawrence and Head of the NDIA, Fredrick Flatts all attended the meeting.