By Leonard GildarieAuthorities have started to release waters from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) as heavy rains hit Guyana.Already the level has gone past the full supply capacity,Deion Sanders Falcons Jersey, forcing officials to release waters into the Demerara River to reduce the stress in the dams.Water has also risen in the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary and Kwakwani areas, with reports coming in that the Rupununi River is also overtopping.At the Boerasirie Conservancy, water is also being released because of the high levels there also.Yesterday, agriculture officials,Nike Huarache Shoes For Sale, including Minister Robert Persaud, urged for local regional and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to play a more proactive role as resources are being “stretched thin”.Persaud made the disclosures during a visit to the Land of Canaan and Friendship sluices, East Bank Demerara,Cheap Jerseys From China, to inspect the structures there. Both sluices are being used to channel waters from the EDWC and there is no immediate need to “make any critical decisions” to release waters elsewhere,Wholesale Jerseys China, like into the Mahaica and Mahaicony rivers, the Minister said.Head of the Ministry’s Hydrometeorological Service, Bhaleka Seulall, warned that more flash floods are expected with as many as 22 days of rainfall expected this month.Rain is expected to continue to mid-August, she stressed.According to the Minister, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is closely monitoring the water levels at the conservancy and several governmental agencies are being consulted to monitor the hinterland areas for possible assistance.Persaud, Seulall and NDIA’s head,Wholesale Jerseys USA, Lionel Wordsworth were among the team of officials to inspect the drainage structures.So far,Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic, three channels are being utilized to drain the excess water, including the Land of Canaan sluices and at Kofi, Friendship.The Minister acknowledged that it is difficult and while interventions to reduce the impact will be possible for some areas, there will still be other areas that residents and others will have to “cope” with because of logistics.According to Seulall, more early morning intense rains are expected.Addressing the water levels in the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary areas, the Minister said that comprehensive technical works are being done to finalise the Hope canal project, which is expected to start in a few weeks’ time.The Hope canal is seen as a critical alternative to drain the conservancies aback of the Mahaicony area. The release of waters from the conservancies there to the rivers in the past has caused severe flooding to the riverain communities.According to the Minister, as early as this weekend, there will be advertisements out for supervisors for the project.The sharply rising waters of the EDWC has only highlighted the fragility of the basin which only a few weeks ago was at critical low levels due to the El Nino dry weather conditions.
