Cabinet Level Taskforce on Flooding collaborates with Private Sector Commission to employ Flood Mitigation Measures.

January 6, 2022

The Cabinet Level Taskforce on Flooding, led by Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, yesterday met with members of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to collaborate on flood mitigation measures. The virtual session allowed for engagement between government officials and corporate and commercial individuals to ascertain the resources needed to manage any potential significant inundation across Guyana.

National Security Advisor, Mr. Gerry Gouviea, lauded the contributions of the business community thus far and noted that the assistance hails from all parts of the country. Cameras, provided by the PSC, have been installed and operational at some pumps in the county of Demerara. This will allow for responsible agencies to monitor real-time footage and immediately identify any issues with the equipment. Additionally, some pumps can be monitored via the 4G network to determine its functionality, but that initiative too is still in its pilot stage. Further, a live dashboard will be implemented which will provide access to agencies and individuals so that they can observe the progress of all pumps logged into the 4G network. These systems will be directed by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the National Data Management Agency (NDMA).

The monitoring initiatives for the pumps and sluices are proposed to leave the pilot stages once the results continue to be favourable. The PSC has pledged to continuously provide any support that is necessary to ensure that such endeavours are successful.

The Prime Minister, in closing, had declared the meeting fruitful and had called for a subsequent session to provide updates on the initiatives proposed and to work through any issues that may arise.