Some suggestions to alleviate flooding

Dear Editor,

Now that the floodwaters have subsided, it is time for the authorities to devise long-term solutions to alleviate the constant flooding in the country. Guyana needs urban planners and infrastructure designers with modern building codes. And no one has found a solution for heavy rainfall. Here are some suggestions:

1. Effective zoning to designate the type of buildings and associated usage.
2. Building floor to area ratios (FAR) so that enclosed quarters are not overbuilt in regard to land area. Not more than 80 per cent of the soil surface should be allowed for building structures.
3. Tax structures for different types of properties like commercial, residential, mixed-use, etc.

Here are a few suggestions that the housing authorities need to consider:

1. Open green space: In housing construction, a significant percentage of the lot, say 30 per cent, must be left open (the so-called green rule) and not concreted. This will allow rainwater to be absorbed rather than drained off into overburdened drains, especially in regions like Georgetown.
2. Retention ponds: In designing communities, say, like 100 homes, retention ponds are a dire necessity with their two-fold purpose: they will collect drain-offs to alleviate flooding, in addition to being a source of water in dry weather.
3. Regular garbage collection: Compactor trucks for garbage collection would see significant removal of waste that blocks main drainage channels.
4. Household wells: In the further retention of rainwater, small wells need to be instituted in building codes (the dry well concept). These wells of, say, 64 cubic feet (4x4x4) will also prevent unwanted runoff into the poorly maintained drainage system.
5. Recycling: The collection of plastic, cardboard and glass containers must now be of high priority, as it not only provides an ‘income’ but is also a great deterrent for blockages.
6. Illegal dumping: Regulations in regard to dumping should be enforced with preventative fines. Environmentally hazardous items like engine oil, televisions (which contain lead), and un-degradable plastics top the list. Alternatively, authorities can facilitate a paid dumping site.
7. Recreation areas: New housing schemes need about one acre for, say, non-degradable every 100 houses; rum shops seem the primary hub of relaxation.

In Guyana, construction ought to be relatively straightforward, as builders do not have to contend with the vicissitudes of temperature changes like North America, which sees a range in one year from near zero to over 100 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale. Obviously, the burden of having a wide range of materials is eliminated, along with furnaces for winter heating and insulation materials like Styrofoam and fibreglass.

Regularisation of squatting areas is a definite NO. These areas are poorly designed and rife with infrastructure deficiencies. Above all else, it is the sacred duty of the entire public to stop discarding food containers and plastic bottles throughout the country if people really want to prevent flooding.