The Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) administration in an effort to support the farmers of the region will be spending some $12M to repair access dams which are presently in poor condition.
David Armogan, Regional Chairman on Thursday told Stabroek News, that “We have found about $12M from the regional budget to repair the dams”. However, he said, that that sum of money will not be able to repair all of the dams within the region. He noted that works will have to be done on the major dams. “We have allocated about $5M to the water users in Black Bush Polder, about $4 point something million to 52 – 74 and about $4M to the water users at Crabwood Creek”.
He said, that the money will be used to carry out works on the major dams but that farmers will also have to play their part to “do work on the secondary dams because we are doing the primary dams”.
Additionally, Armogan pointed out that most farmers are harvesting in the Black Bush Polder Area, as such two emergency contracts worth about $5.2M each were given out to have works carried out at two heavy-duty bridges located in Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, which were preventing farmers from accessing the area with their produce.
Meanwhile, the chairman further highlighted, that there have been several complaints from persons within the Black Bush Polder Area about their main access road since there are huge potholes throughout the road.
Armogan noted that a contract worth some $5M was awarded to fill some of the major potholes. “Some of these holes were extremely big and there was a possibility that now that harvesting is taking place, these lorries and so will run into problems”.
Meanwhile, Armogan noted that the administration sought assistance from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, the ministry which the main access road in Black Bush Polder falls under, however, he said, “they said that at this point in time they are unable to take on any further work. They are saying they don’t have money, so we had to chip in to ensure that people can utilize the road to bring out their paddy and come out”.
The chairman charged that the ministry seems more interested in clearing road shoulders, making reference to the accusation that a total of $120M in projects were given out by the said ministry to clear the road shoulders along the Corentyne Highway to AFC members, than fixing roads in productive areas, “which can feed the whole of Guyana”.
He pointed out, “Black Bush has been producing rice, fruits, vegetables, coconuts and different types of crops and spending a little money there would have bring back the benefits to the people of Guyana, I hope that better sense prevails in the future”.
