HGP Nightly News – Floodwaters have reportedly overwhelmed parts of Linden, with Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed saying residents of the West Watooka squatting area in Region 10 have been living in “severe flooding” for weeks, allegedly triggered by blocked drainage leading into the Demerara River.
Mohamed, who visited the community yesterday, described scenes of mounting loss and distress. According to him, residents reported that livestock have been left standing in water for extended periods, with chickens and pigs dying, crops destroyed, and household appliances and items damaged beyond use.
He also said residents told him pensioners have struggled to leave their homes to collect their pensions, while children have been unable to attend school because yards and access routes remain flooded. Residents, Mohamed said, linked the flooding to emergency works carried out on the roadway and drainage system as part of a roundabout project.
He reported that the contractor, Supreme Distributors, which residents said was awarded the contract, allegedly blocked a main pipe that should allow water to drain freely into the Demerara River, leaving the community with water “trapped… with nowhere to go.” Mohamed stated that approximately 80 households are affected, including farmers and small business owners who depend on livestock and land to earn a living.
Some residents, he added, estimate their losses in the millions of dollars. Following the visit, Mohamed said he contacted the Regional Executive Officer and a contractor and pressed for immediate action to dig out and clear the reportedly blocked pipe to allow water levels to begin receding.
“No community should be left to suffer like this while responsibilities are passed around and contracts are debated. People need help now not excuses,” Mohamed said, as he vowed to continue pushing authorities for repairs, relief support, and accountability where “poor workmanship or negligence” may have contributed to the flooding.
He said residents deserve “dignity, safety, and real solutions,” as the community awaits urgent drainage intervention.
