Residents in several villages along the East Coast Demerara have expressed disgust over how slowly floodwater is being drained. Heavy rainfall over the past week has seen, in some cases as much as two feet of water, settled on the land in some villages.
Yesterday Stabroek News visited Triumph, Enmore, Hope, Cove and John, Ann’s Grove, La Bonne Intention, Success and Bee Hive on the East Coast, where there was evidence of excess water on the land. While in several villages there was work being done to clear main canals and trenches residents said this was not enough since some kokers and pumps were not functioning, which was why the water could not drain off quickly.
At Cove and John, rice farmer Chetto Singh said this has been the case since the rain began. Singh told this newspaper that since last Thursday some 26 acres of rice, which he cultivated has been under water. “Since de rain start last week me whole rice land deh under water. And from den to now [yesterday] de water ain’t really drain off because de pump dem aint wukking enough,” Singh said.
According to the rice farmer, power outages in the area were also a contributory factor. “Look when de rain start and de place flood and leh we seh blackout come, de pump dem does stop wuk so de wata nah a get fuh drain off and we suffering,” Singh said. Other residents of the area shared similar concerns.
One woman said her entire kitchen garden has been destroyed and there was no one to compensate her since more often than not the authorities put their attention on large-scale farmers.
According Lynette, another resident of Cove and John, since mid last week her entire yard and the bottom flat of her house has been flooded. “Mi whole kitchen garden gone, all mi pepper, bora and squash gone. De wata tek over everything
