Stable and decreasing levels of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) have seen a halt of the controlled release of water into the Mahaica Creek.
The EDWC Board yesterday stated that it had reviewed the levels of the conservancy and observed that within a 24-hour period, the level has been stable and decreasing and consequently a decision was made to stop the controlled release of excess water into the Mahaica Creek via the Maduni and Lama sluices. Excess water will continue to be released into the Demerara River at Kofi, Land of Canaan and the Cunha Sluices, it added in a statement.
Residents in the Mahaica Creek area told Stabroek News yesterday that the water level in the waterway has increased by 3 to 4 inches since Tuesday afternoon and it was reported that most persons remained prepared for any eventuality. Most residents were upbeat last evening, and some stated that they worked most of yesterday salvaging crops that had been affected by the floodwaters.
Cash crop farmer Amaldass Ramdass told Stabroek News last evening that the waters “rise about a 4 inches” within the past 12 hours at Big Baiboo in the Mahaica Creek. He said that the area experienced fair weather conditions for most of yesterday, but he added “we still deh looking at scale and weight.” The man noted that farms within the area remained under floodwaters last evening and he opined that the waters will recede within the next two to three days, providing weather conditions are favourable.
Several farmers visited their cash crop farms in the area yesterday and most reported that their losses were major setbacks since the crops were in the final stages of growth. It was also noted that consumers may have to brace themselves for increases in prices of cash crop items.
This newspaper understands that officials from several government agencies, including the Agriculture Ministry and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) have been in contact with residents in communities along the Mahaica Creek and the Mahaicony Creek area to assess the situation there.
Following several days of persistent rainfall which began over the weekend, the Board of the EDWC announced on Tuesday that water in the conservancy had reached a threatening level and that a controlled release was used as a last resort to reduce the levels within the water holding area.
The Agriculture Ministry in a statement issued on Tuesday noted that at the start of the La Nina period, excess water was being released from the EDWC into the Demerara River via the five-door sluice at Land of Canaan and outlets at Kofi and Cunha.
Meantime, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and a team of officials of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) yesterday met with farmers in the Canals Number 1 and 2 Polders, close to the Boeraserie Conservancy, during an inspection of the levels of the water holding area.
According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), Persaud assured residents and farmers in the area that while the level of the conservancy rose in light of persistent rainfall, the situation was manageable and emergency efforts were being undertaken by the NDIA to avert any possible overtopping. “There is no overtopping, what we have are sections that are low which can lead to overtopping …so what we are doing [is] building up the low areas with sandbags,” Persaud said. He expressed optimism that the rainy period will break and that work will continue throughout Guyana to bring relief to residents experiencing discomfort due to continuous rainfall.
According to GINA, during the discussions, farmers made several proposals on support which can be utilised during the rainy periods and the minister apprised them of interventions which are being undertaken by the government to bring relief and support to affected residents. He also urged farmers to be more knowledgeable about the weather phenomenon and called on them to make sacrifices and support those in need.
He also assured them that there were no breaches at any of the water conservancies and he told residents not to become aggravated over reports in the media which suggest otherwise.
According to GINA, several teams have been mobilised across the country to monitor and to ensure that the necessary emergency and remedial works are being undertaken to avert a major disaster.
Minister Persaud noted that the effects of climate change were not only being felt in Guyana but around the world and he noted that the government was making interventions which would impact positively on the drainage and irrigation systems. It was noted too that additional initiatives were in the making to bring relief to heavily affected areas.
Region Three Chairman, Julius Faerber, who along with NDIA head Lionel Wordsworth accompanied the minister, noted that drainage pumps were being mobilised across the region and teams were on site inspecting works being undertaken at Meten-Meer-Zorg and at De Kinderen to bring relief to affected residents. The latter area was flooded when this newspaper visited the community on Tuesday.
According to GINA, the NDIA had been enhancing its fleet of equipment across the country while making preparations for the rainy season, particularly in low-lying areas in order to drain off excess water.
The administration’s moves to have the drainage system more adaptable to the effects of climate change in recent times saw several structures being rehabilitated and upgraded, including the opening of additional outlets aback the Canal Number 2 Polder, works being undertaken on the Hope Canal Northern Relief outlet from the EDWC and the construction of a drainage channel on the right bank of the Mahaicony River from Hyde Park.
