Schools reopen in flood hit Region 9

– Assessment of losses ongoing, Regional Chairman
THE flood waters continue to recede and schools reopened yesterday as Region 9 (Upper Takutu/ Upper Essequibo) advances its recovery effort; and Regional Chairman Clarendo Lucas said an assessment of the losses is ongoing.
The shelters at Arapaima Primary School, Culvert City Nursery School and Christian Brethren were evacuated Sunday as residents returned home.
“The after effects of the flood, the damage that it left behind, is what is most worrying and over the next days we will be working to get a picture of the losses that residents suffered,” he said.
According to him, the challenge will be the support for those families that have lost entire crops to the flood.
“Right now we have reports that the cash crops were most affected. Damage was done to the peanuts, a corn and cassava crop…the recovery continues and we are grateful for the support we have had so far,” Lucas said.
He acknowledged the support of Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) in the form of special non-collateral loans offered at a rate of 6 per cent to business owners, especially in the area of agriculture.
“We are working with all stakeholders to ensure that the people here can return to some amount of normalcy,” Lucas said.

He stated too that accessibility to areas that were cut off is improving and supplies are being moved to outlying areas.
The regional chairman said special measures are in place to ensure that residents are not taken advantage of.
He explained that the regional authorities have had to deal with business owners capitalising on their misfortune.
“Some business owners supplying goods to residents were jacking up the prices, but we have taken measures to ensure that this does not happen….over the next few days we will keep an eye on suppliers,” Lucas said.
He added that the weather has been favourable for most of yesterday and noted that if this trend continues, the flood waters will no longer be a concern.
The cleanup campaign continues at government and private buildings, including removing garbage, disinfecting yards and buildings, and trimming and cutting of bushes and trees.
However, while Lucas is optimistic that the flood waters will soon disappear, the Agriculture Ministry’s Hydromet office reports that the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) remains south and its continued movement in that direction to the Atlantic Ocean is expected to result in more rainfall.
The Health Ministry has reported that it has acquired additional supplies to maintain readiness if called upon.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Health detailed its interventions as follows:
* medical outreach continues in the Lethem sub districts, continuing yesterday as the road accessibility permitted;
* distribution of cleansing agents (disinfectants) to residents of Lethem and Culvert City;
* spraying exercises were done on Sunday, and fogging exercises are being conducted in an effort to prevent a spike in the incidence of malaria;
* distribution of mosquito nets in some areas; and
* distribution of medical supplies to all sub districts.a