The Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is working to prepare the country’s drainage system to address any likely flooding in low lying areas during the current rainy season, Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy said on Wednesday.
According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), Ramsammy said the NDIA, in co-ordination with all the concerned local authorities, has been monitoring the various pumps and sluices and working to correct those identified as being defective.
Ramsammy admitted that there have been some minor problems but they have handled the rainy season successfully so far. He said that 128 pumps are operated along the coast of Guyana by various authorities. “… Most are in a working state… there are about four – five pumps with some problems, and we are ensuring that before the next big rain comes, there are in working condition,” he was quoted as saying.
The minister said that one of the pumps being repaired is at Buxton and was damaged as a result of the operator’s negligence.
GINA said that Ramsammy pointed out that although the NDIA had ensured that all the pumps under its purview are in working condition, the NDIA did not operate all the pumps in Guyana. In Georgetown, the Mayor and City Council controls seven pumps. Similarly in the regions, specific drainage systems are the responsibility of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) or the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
According to the minister, “What we have discovered is that in some cases the local authorities during the dry weather never tested their pumps, so when the first opportunity comes during the rainy season for you to put the pumps on, then you discover that they have some problems and you lose valuable time.”
The Minister said that NDIA had a programme of constantly monitoring its pumps, so that if something goes wrong, the authority is immediately aware.
Minister Ramsammy said that he has instructed the NDIA to treat all pumps in Guyana as if they are theirs, even if it might be the responsibility of a local authority, “because if the local authorities are not going to do it, it still becomes our problem when there is a flood.”
GINA said that another issue that is receiving the ministry’s attention is siltation at some sluices, resulting in them not being able to open during the last heavy rainfall. The minister gave the example of siltation at the Windsor Forest sluice had resulted in it not being opened and causing some build up of water during last weekend. He said that a pontoon with an excavator is currently working to clear the siltation at this location, even as other sluices and outfalls affected by siltation are being cleaned.
The agriculture minister also reported that the rainy season has had some impact on rice, but fortunately 96 percent of the first crop had been harvested. One region significantly affected is Region Five, where the rain is affecting the eight percent that is still on the ground.
GINA said that Ramsammy said that overall 23 percent of country has already begun land preparation for sowing; and this is a situation that will have to be monitored as the rains can impact on the young plants.
