Dear Editor,
I write today to address a serious situation which is blatantly challenging a rational mind in search of a plausible explanation. What I will outline, is being seen in our beloved country. The government continues to boast that it has spent large sums on the drainage system in this country since the floods of 2005; however, it is blatantly obvious that in 2008, exactly 3 years later, in spite of this massive amount of money having been spent, that all the villages between Beterverwagting and Clonbrook are worse off.
Many of these villages have been continuously under floodwaters for in excess of two weeks, some as long as three weeks, with no relief in sight. In contrast however, even though this area is contiguous, the areas of Mon Repos, Lusignan, Annandale, Good Hope, Enmore, Nootenzuil, Lowlands, Hope and Greenfield have had massive efforts expended to remove their floodwaters, while the villages themselves have all been allowed to remain submerged for these extended periods.
Ann’s Grove, Victoria, Nabaclis, Golden Grove, Haslington, Paradise, Dazzell Scheme, Melanie Damishana, Friendship and Buxton have all continued to be submerged, with the worst being Victoria and Dazzell Scheme, which have had water continuously since before December 8, 2008.
There has been little effort made to alleviate the sufferings of the people in Victoria, which is arguably the largest village in this area (population wise). To add insult to injury, even though the Victorians have suffered and continue to suffer, neighbouring areas like Lowlands and Hope with a fraction of the population of this village have had every effort made to remove their water and they have been furnished with cleansers to disinfect the land and prevent the spread of diseases and medical teams.
It is mind boggling that the kokers at Hope, Nootenzuil and Victoria had all been inoperative up until a week ago and all that was needed for the operation of these structures were (Nootenzuil – a winch; Victoria a Hymac to lift the door) to be able to bring some relief. Unfortunately, when the area from Hope to Nabaclis was inundated with water, all of this water was funnelled through Victoria to be pumped out to sea by the three pumps situated at Victoria. Yet Victoria, which has been the primary drainage for this entire area, has been allowed to remain submerged, while these eastern areas have all received relief.
Victoria is situated in a basin in relation to all the surrounding areas, hence, because of a re-engineered drainage system in this area, all the drainage waters from these areas flow into Victoria and remain there, if there is no effort made to ensure that the systems in Victoria are working to their best ability.
The outfall from the Victoria koker is so clogged, that even though the koker doors have been raised above the level of the water, the flow out to sea is negligible, because the outfall to the sea is clogged with silt. Since Victoria is the lowest point in this area, one would think that it would make sense to ensure that the outfall to the sea is cleared so that the water would flow unimpeded. However, this has not been done. The outfall at Hope has been cleared, even though the koker itself is inoperative, the outfall at Nootenzuil-Belfield has been cleared and that koker now operates effectively; but if the water from Belfield and Nootenzuil is not stopped from flowing into Victoria, even though Lowlands, Nootenzuil and Belfield are now free from water on the land, this water flows into Victoria and prevents the water in Victoria from being able to be drained to the sea.
You may ask why this is. Well the drainage and irrigation board in its wisdom has had two sluice kokers constructed in the crown dam behind these areas in such a manner, that the sluice doors are permanently below the water level in the savannah, so that these two sluices bring water 24 hours per day into Victoria and this water overpowers the water on the land in Victoria and keeps the village submerged.
Even though there has been money expended in digging some of the drainage trenches in Victoria, all that this has done is to make Victoria a deeper storage basin for flood waters and the waters from the savannah, since the outfall to the sea remains clogged.
Mr. Editor, one has to ask, if Good Hope, Lusignan, Annandale, Enmore, Nootenzuil, Hope, Clonbrook and Greenfield can all be drained in a short space of time and the residents there given the necessary fluids to ensure that diseases do not take hold in those areas along with medical outreach teams, why is there still water on the land in Buxton, Friendship, Paradise, Dazzell scheme, Golden Grove, Nabaclis, Victoria, Ann’s Grove and DochFour?
Yours faithfully,
Desmond Saul
