By Roger Wong
Upset Hope Estate farmers continued to grapple with floodwaters yesterday and are still assessing damage to their crops and livestock even as they questioned why the authorities are not dealing with the inadequate drainage system that serves the area.
Floodwater was still in some homes, yards and fields when Stabroek News visited the East Coast Demerara community yesterday. The water appeared stagnant and residents expressed concern about the possible effects on their health. Heavy rains on Thursday swamped most of Georgetown and other coastal areas and while the waters have receded over the past few days, at Hope Estate, water still covers parts of the community including farms.
A previous visit on Friday to some of the affected areas along the East Coast of Demerara, saw flooding in both low and highland areas. Farmers have said that they have suffered millions in losses.
During Stabroek News’ visit to Hope Estate yesterday, it was observed that a pump was in operation but residents said that it was slow in draining the land. Several persons raised concerns about why the koker was not functioning properly and the reliance on a single pump which is only in operation occasionally. The pump operator, Seecharran, related to Stabroek News that the doors of the koker were raised yesterday morning but this was not effective in releasing the water since the outfall is very shallow and needs dredging.
Meantime, farmer Mohanlall Doodnauth told Stabroek News that his house and farm remain flooded. He said that he lost about five acres of cash crops as a result of the flood. He added that no official from the Ministry of Agriculture or the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has visited the farmers affected by the flood so far nor has any health worker come to check on the sanitary condition of the area. The distressed man pointed out that the stagnant water has resulted in odours and many pit latrines remain under water.
Doodnauth said that in the past, farmers made attempts to visit the Minister of Agriculture on numerous occasions. He related that they were promised by the Ministry that they would have received free irrigation services in the backlands but only a few persons benefited from that service.
“You got to swallow it and digest it,” Doodnauth said, adding that “there is nothing we can do about the situation.” The farmer further stated that the koker has not been functioning for many years and the single pump being used at the moment is not capable of quickly removing that amount of water from the area. “In my opinion the koker can’t handle five percent of the water on this land,” he asserted.
Lillawattie Singh, a 45-year-old woman, who is a single parent of five children lamented that her farm also suffered damage from the flood. “Me does wuk hard, me na want goh do wrang ting fu get money,” the woman said as she walked through her bora vines which have turned yellow as a result of being submerged. Her corila and squash plants were struggling as the water slowly recedes from her farm.
Singh also showed Stabroek News a bed of young cucumber plants which was under water and was planted by her 15-year-old daughter in an effort to secure some money for herself. The girl is said to still be in school, but according to Singh, “me teaching them the hard way of life.”
Many other farmers spoke of millions in losses.
Another woman, Data (only name given), fought back tears as she showed the inside of her kitchen which still has about four inches of water inside. “Tell me man, how people go live in this,” she questioned as she noted that small children live in the house. Data said that she lost some of her livestock including very young animals and even ducklings while ducks strayed away in the high waters. “Who go gee yoh back anything here,” the woman questioned.
Another farmer, Kumar, too suffered losses of both crops and livestock. He said that his daughter-in-law also had to relocate for fear of her baby contracting sickness from the stagnant water. Pointing to a nearby house, he said that two elderly persons were trapped inside due to them being surrounded by the floodwaters. “Them can’t even come out fuh use the pit latrine,” he related.
