Four excavators are to be deployed in Upper Corentyne villages stricken by flooding following heavy rain on Friday and Saturday even as questions are being raised as to why the local government authority was unable to clear clogged drains.
The decision to mobilise the excavators came after a visit to the area yesterday by new Agricultural Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha and Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall, along with regional officials. They visited the area to gather first-hand information and come up with solutions for farmers and others who suffered major losses.
The ministers visited residents of Numbers 52, 53, 54, 57 and 58 villages who were affected, and also all of the kokers in the area.
At Number 57 Village, Mustapha toured Abdul Rasheed Latiff’s chicken farm. Latiff, 59, suffered over $4 million in losses after his chicken farm, which is located aback of the village, was submerged.
After listening to the affected residents in the various villages, Mustapha made the decision that four excavators would be deployed to work in the area. He said that it was evident that many canals needed to be cleared immediately. As such the minister gave immediate instructions to have excavators brought to the area.
“Immediately we have brought three machines and a fourth machine will come here tomorrow so that we can try to alleviate the problems within this area”, he said. Additionally, in Number 57 Village, it was discovered that a resident had placed a small tube in one of the canals for his field. It was found that this had prevented the water from receding quickly.
The minister was also informed that the said resident even threatened some regional employees after they visited the area and made attempts to rectify the issue.
Mustapha ordered that the tube be replaced with one of the correct size and that if the resident attempts to cause any issue then the police should be informed.
“He (resident) didn’t do it to specification, the tubing was high and small so it compounded the drainage issue in that area”, the minister explained.
The minister has also asked that officials present do follow ups with the residents once the water has completely receded so as to gain an idea of the damage suffered.
“We’ve noticed that the residents suffered a lot of damage so I’ve requested that our officers go and follow up because as a matter fact one poultry farmer lost about $4M, so I asked our officers to do a follow up and do a report to see how the Ministry of Agriculture will assist there”.
Tomato plants
Sauda Shabazz, who has a farm at the back of Number 53 Village, Corentyne, said she suffered a loss of over $500,000, as she lost 500 tomato plants. “Tomato selling $7,000 a pail, I would a been picking like 21 pails”. She added, “Is the rain but then you ain’t getting drainage”.
She said that the sideline canal next to the Number 53 Village, Corentyne should be cleaned and opened for water to go out. However, the minister explained, that since that channel has no koker at the end, then something would have to be built there. “You have to have a koker to regulate the flow of the water”, he stressed. At Number 53 Union Village, Corentyne, a group of residents had gathered at a bus shed with A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) activists, Colin Bynoe and Colin Moore. Mustapha spoke with them and also toured the village, as he informed them that the machines would be mobilised to clear the canals.
Bynoe told Stabroek News that he was present to represent the interest of the residents. The residents seemed appreciative as they thanked the minister after he told them of the excavators. APNU was part of the former governing coalition.
After receiving complaints from residents present, the minister questioned the chairman of the Number 52/74 Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) , Anil Ramjahan, as to why the canals were not being cleaned.
“What I understood from the NDC is they have been requesting the small machine, the excavator and the NDIA (National Drainage and Irrigation Authority) machine but they have not been getting the machines coming to the area”, Mustapha said.
Furthermore, the minister was told, that the koker operators did not open the doors in time. Stabroek News was previously told that the koker doors were only opened on Saturday after Ramjahan located the operators and asked them to do so.
The minister said that he has requested that a representative from the NDC, the Regional Democratic Council, the Water Users Association and the NDIA form a committee “to look at these sluice operators and look at these operators operating the machines so that we can have a collaborative effort between these entities”.
Mustapha said that it seems that there was some sort of breakdown in communication between these entities, as he pledged to ensure that this improves so that residents can benefit.
Mustapha said that the new PPP/C government will not only “sit in office and send out instructions” but would be on the ground working.
“As minister I plan to visit all the areas that are affected”, he said, while noting that he will be visiting Essequibo soon since there has been a report of a major paddy bug infestation in that area.
He said that he has requested an urgent report from the Guyana Rice Development Board on that situation after which he will visit. Mustapha is a former Chairman of the Region Six Regional Democratic Council.
