Story and photos by Lakhram Bhagirat
With floodwater receding in Mahaicony Creek communities, the full extent of losses are now being realised and farmers are demanding full compensation for damaged crops and dead livestock.
Residents are angry at the government for deliberately flooding their farms to reduce the water levels in the East Demerara Water Conser-vancy (EDWC), after heavy rainfall along the coast. The water in the area has been receding for the past week but they are anticipating being flooded again in the May/June rainy season. The residents yesterday told Stabroek News that the government needs to intervene with better drainage solutions other that using small pumps to drain the area.
At the same time, they were unanimous that they do not need materials to restart their farms; instead, they want money for their losses.
Lucille Boodhoo said that she lost over 14 acres of farmlands as well as a cow, two fully grown goats and about twenty meat birds during the flooding.
“Everything deh under water fuh awe. What kind of living we can make here?” she questioned.
Since the flooding, Boodhoo has not been visited by any government officials but she expects full compensation for her losses.
“Me want them pay me fully for me cash crop and all me things that dead because is money me spend and is them fault this happen. Lil bit a food and seedling can’t compensate me fuh what me loss,” she remarked angrily.
Bridgelall Arjoon estimated his losses at over $300,000. He lost two cows and six calves while his remaining cattle have nowhere to graze.
The farmer said that he needs the authorities to come into the area and see what they have to experience on a yearly basis every time they are ready to reap.
Farmer Bolanauth Deolall said that his farm has been inundated for over three weeks. He noted that normal rainfall does not affect his farms, so it was clear that the release from the conservancy was responsible.
He said, “I think the government cause the flood and they need to compensate us.”
Deolall said he alone had invested over $700,000 in his rice fields and there is a shortage of rice in the creek. “This is my livelihood and I depend on that… every week I does get $20,000 on my cash crops and for the past few months, because of the rain, I am not getting anything so how I will survive?” he questioned.
After the last flood, Deolall was given a $5,000 seedling voucher, which he used to start the crops that have been damaged by water. He said that when Agriculture Ministry officials visited the area, they told them that they will have to await the National Assembly’s consent before rendering assistance to the affected farmers.
Deolall added that while government is building a dam to prevent water from seeping into the rice fields, the engineers are not heeding the concerns of the actual farmers, who believe that the dam is not being built high enough to control the water intake. In addition to losses, angry residents said that their children’s schooling has been interrupted while some are being affected by the flood-related illnesses and there is little or no medical help in the area.
President Donald Ramotar, who was on a flood-assessment visit in the area on Saturday, told the farmers that they would be given assistance.
However, he could not say when or what they would be given, since government was awaiting the allocation of funds from the budget.
Minister of Agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, meanwhile, on Sunday reiterated that flood-relief would be provided to farmers but said priority is being given to draining the floodwater from 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,” said Ramsammy, who has been visiting the flood-affected communities frequently.
