By NEWSDAY REPORTER Wednesday, September 8 2010

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CARING OFFICER: A fireman ensures these children are safe as they leave the Debe Primary School after it was flooded out during heavy rainfall yesterd...

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CLEAN-UP operations were in full swing yesterday in parts of Debe and Penal which were flooded on Monday night and early yesterday morning following several hours of heavy torrential rainfall.

The flooding was so severe that several residents were marooned in their homes for hours. There was also major flooding along several roads leading into and out of the area.

Among the areas under flood water were the Debe Main Road, Lallbeharry Trace, Papourie Road and Harrypaul Village as well as the famous “aloo pie and doubles” strip just after the Namdeveco market along the SS Erin Road.

Parts of the Debe Hindu School were also flooded following the heavy rains and the premises had to be washed and sanitised by officers of the San Fernando Fire Station. Also assisting residents in the mopping up operations were seventy-five CEPEP workers.

Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) chairman Premchand Sookoo said the flood rose after “extremely heavy showers” on Monday evening and left several homes flooded at Lalbeharry Trace.

He said officials from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) were contacted while some eight mattresses were handed over to several affected families on Monday night.

Sookoo, who was accompanied by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal during a tour of the affected areas yesterday, said one of the causes of Monday’s flooding was a river which flows between the Debe Hindu School and Parvati Girls Hindu College which needs to be de-silted to minimise future flooding.

He said instructions have been given for spraying in flood-affected areas to prevent any outbreak of water borne diseases especially after there were reports that septic tanks were filled and overflowed during the floods.