While water levels in Mahaicony and Mahaica are receding, many residents are still asking how they will pick up the pieces since no assistance has been forthcoming or has been promised by the authorities.
However, the Agriculture Ministry yesterday said that aid will be provided as soon as its number one priority of draining the lands is completed. The Mahaica/Mahaicony area was severely flooded over the last week after water was released from the swollen East Demerara Water Conservancy into the Mahaica Creek.
“You would think after a visit from the President we would hear about some assistance for this flooding, we didn’t hear nothing. He said he will do his best. What that means nobody ain’t sure. All that time we still have family to feed and bills to pay” Sukhnadat a resident of Mahaica Creek told Stabroek News yesterday.
He stated that villagers heard that President Donald Ramotar was in the area on Saturday and went to meet him. It was at this meeting he said that they were told that they would be given assistance but the president could not say when or what since government was awaiting the allocation of funds from the budget which would also be determined by the opposition.
Said Sukhnadat “We meet the President through word a mouth that he went in the area and he tell we that he willing to help we but have to wait on the budget and the opposition …so we pleading with the opposition to let we get some help we need it bad.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy reassured that flood relief would be provided to farmers but said that priority is being given to drainage of the agricultural communities. “The Ministry’s first priority is to drain the land and ensure that there are health measures put in place so that there will not be any water-borne disease outbreaks. We know the importance of draining the land and are working around the clock to do this …personal assistance for the residents will be looked at after this is completed,” said Ramsammy who has been visiting the flood-affected communities frequently. He told Stabroek News that at this stage he could not give specific details about the relief package.
Over in Mahaicony, which seemed the hardest hit, not only by the rainfall but the opening of the Maduni sluice to relieve pressure on the conservancy, residents pleaded for assistance while stating that the water was receding at snail’s pace and they are yet to see a government official. “ We understand that the flooding will take a time before it run off, then about two months before the first crop so we asking for some help, grocery, foodstuff anything and after de water run off `lil fertilizer and some seeds ” Panday, a cash crop farmer of Upper Mahaicony Creek told Stabroek News by phone.
However another resident who gave her name as Mrs Ramdeen said “We want cash because by the time grocery to come in half gone how dem suh thief here and they will bring only peas…we can’t eat peas alone.” She added that she would also want the Ministry of Agriculture to engage farmers as to the type of seeds needed since in the past seeds not growable, for the type of soil in their area, were handed out after flooding.
