“It’s a Backflow Nightmare”: Deputy Mayor Blasts Infrastructure Failures
By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — What should have been a weekend of Easter celebration turned into a “recovery operation” for the residents of Tucville, as heavy rainfall over the holiday weekend left the community submerged. For many households, the damage is catastrophic, with floodwaters ruining furniture, appliances, and valuables—a disaster that local leaders say was entirely preventable.
Deputy Mayor Denise Miller, who visited the affected streets, has laid the blame squarely on a “backflow” crisis caused by poorly engineered drainage and government inaction.
Engineering Failures: The Backflow Problem
The primary culprit behind the inundation was not just the volume of rain, but the failure of the local drainage gutters to channel water away from the community.
- Insufficient Depth: Deputy Mayor Miller pointed out that a recently upgraded concrete drain—intended to replace an old mud drain—was constructed with insufficient depth. Instead of carrying water to the main outfalls, the system allowed water to backflow directly into residents’ yards.
- The Culvert Crisis: Miller revealed that the Ministry of Public Works and the City’s Engineering Department had been alerted “multiple times” about the need for a new, higher-capacity culvert. No action was taken before the holiday rains hit.
- Ignored Warnings: The Deputy Mayor recounted consulting on-site officials during previous modifications, warning that the current capacity was inadequate. These warnings went unheeded, leading to the Easter weekend disaster.
Residents Speak: “Never Seen It This Bad”
For the people of Tucville, the emotional and financial toll is immense. Many senior citizens, who have lived in the area for decades, expressed shock at the severity of the surge.
- First-Time Flooding: One longtime resident told Nightly News that in his many years in Tucville, he had never experienced flooding of this magnitude. He described a slow, agonizing wait for the water to recede, followed by a grueling cleanup.
- The Personal Toll: A senior citizen lamented the loss of his household items, noting that at his age, replacing furniture and repairing water-damaged flooring is an impossible financial burden.
A Call for Sustainable Solutions
Deputy Mayor Miller is now calling for an end to “band-aid” fixes in Georgetown’s drainage architecture.
- Proactive Planning: The Deputy Mayor emphasized that Tucville needs sustainable, long-term infrastructure improvements—specifically the immediate installation of a modern culvert system and the deepening of secondary drains.
- Cooperation Needed: She urged the central government to move beyond political differences and work with the City Council’s Engineering Department to safeguard the community before the May-June rainy season begins in earnest.
Lessons from the Flood
As the residents of Tucville hang their carpets to dry and assess their losses, the Easter floods of 2026 serve as a grim reminder of the high cost of infrastructure neglect. For Deputy Mayor Miller, the situation in Tucville is a microcosm of a larger city-wide struggle against rising water levels and aging systems. The question now remains: will the “multiple alerts” finally be heard before the next heavy downpour?
