Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha has ordered that emergency drainage works be done in Black Bush Polder, Corentyne
After a visit yesterday to the area, Mustapha explained that Johanna and Yakusari were more seriously affected by the flooding and to some extent Mibicuri.
“They said over the last five years there were no cleaning with machinery in the area so I intend to send about four pieces of machinery here to do all the works until the work is completed because Black Bush Polder is an area that normally suffers a lot whenever there is heavy rainfall and also at the back water normally comes in the front land area here, so Black Bush is like basin that drains all the high land around.” Mustapha was quoted as saying
According to Mustapha, he has since instructed the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to look at ways the system can be improved, “Because we can’t continue to get farmers to suffer in this way here.”
He expressed the hope that the polders would be drained in less than two days. “I will be putting these works in place so that we have long-term value in terms of drainage and irrigation,” he added.
Meanwhile, with regard to those affected by the flooding, Mustapha announced that a survey would be done by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) to gather a clear extent of losses.
“I told the farmers we can’t give cash help, but we will be giving things like planting materials, fertilizer, chemicals and things like that,” he noted.
Meanwhile, at Mibicuri, Goutan Pariang, 60, a farmer, told Stabroek News that the majority of his coconut plants were destroyed. “The savannah water is flood we farms but is bad management wah cause most of the flooding,” he opined.
He explained, “When farmers been tell them blow the water, if them been blow at that time then the savannah water been can’t affect abbe.”
The man added that mostly cash crop and livestock farmers were affected in Mibicuri.
Meanwhile, in Lesbeholden, the minister met a number of upset women who voiced their frustration about the condition of the Lesbeholden North access road.
Those gathered complained that for many years now, no works were carried out on the access road which is being used by a large number of residents. “Three time we hearing it go in the budget and then it just get knock out, somebody a knock it out,” one clearly frustrated woman said.
Mustapha subsequently gave instructions that the road be included in the next budget.
There were also complaints concerning the bush in the area to which Mustapha responded that a small machine would be sent to area to clear all of unwanted vegetation. “The machine will not leave here until all the bushes clear out,” he assured.
Meanwhile, several issues about works on the main access roads and cross streets were raised. Mustapha noted that the project for the main access road is expected to commence shortly and committed to looking into the issues.
At one location, an elderly woman said that she was unable to get out of her street daily due to its condition. “I don’t know if I tek in how long it go tek me to meet out to the main road.”
She lamented that her street is being damaged by the heavy machinery, “Them na even lef one walk way,” she told the minister.
Mustapha then suggested to the Regional Chairman, David Armogan, and Regional Vice Chairman, Zamal Hussain, that maybe they could look into the possibility of constructing a walkway in some of the streets.
