Heavy rainfall has resulted in the Abary Conservancy in Region Five rising to a high level but Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha reported on Saturday that the dam at the spill weir is intact, stressing that the water is not leading into the farming area.
Mustapha and a team including media operatives took the hours-long journey to the Dageraad spill weir which is a 5,000-ft long concrete reinforced structure. The minister stressed, that the conservancy level is 64. 2 GD (Georgetown Datum).
“The spill weir is spilling the (excess) water into the Berbice River, it’s 14 inches above the level of the spill weir there but I am very satisfied that the integrity of the dam is there, there is no breaches at the dam and all the excessive water are being spilt into the Berbice River and the spill weir is very clean of vegetation, there is no vegetation blocking the spill weir.”
In 2008, Stabroek News reported that water spilling over at the location had reached 64 GD.
Mustapha stressed, that “I am very happy to note that there is no water from the conservancy that is leading into the farming area or the housing area going into cultivation area on the road. Those are water coming from the highland that passes through the housing area to be drained into the Atlantic.”
Critics have in the past said that the Abary Creek is heavily silted all the way to its mouth and in this case it would reduce the ability to drain to the Atlantic.
According to the Minister, the situation is expected to remain for some days since there is a lot of water in the highlands that is coming through the residential areas in the creeks, etc.
However, he said, that they have since cleared the mouth of the Abary Creek, while the same work is being carried out presently at the mouth of the Mahaicony Creek after which the machine will return to Abary Creek where works will be carried out inland so as to have a better flow of water. “But since we have cleared the mouth the draft is much bigger and the water is flowing at a rapid pace.”
He was hopeful that if there is no heavy rainfall in about one week’s time the water level in the conservancy would return to some normalcy.
Meanwhile, several boat operators on Saturday told Stabroek News that this was the first time they had seen the water level so high. “I working in here nine years and this is the first time I ever see it so high”, one said.
However, one cattle farmer reported to Stabroek News that some time ago he had taken regional officials to the location to show that there was some silt building up but nothing was done. “If them did take it early in stage it would have been something better”, he relayed.
The man, who was on the trip on Saturday, reported back to this newspaper that “we see it in a clean way.”
Mustapha on Saturday said that he was pleased to have had a firsthand look at the spill weir and situation in the area.
Meanwhile, he said that emergency works ordered last Monday at Abary had not been carried out and an investigation has been launched
An upset Mustapha revisited the location on Saturday and assured residents that the works would commence immediately. He apologized to them.
“There were a number of issues that I pronounced on last Monday which were not resolved and I have asked the officers to remain in the area until those issues are resolved”, Mustapha told Stabroek News on Saturday.
The minister ordered Deputy CEO of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Dr. Dwight Waldron to carry out an investigation and report back on Monday (today), “and I will ask that disciplinary actions be taken against those officers who have not implemented the instructions that were given at the meeting last Monday.”
On Saturday, he also ordered that the crusher run be placed at a dam as was requested by residents, and that the veterinary officers “visit each and every household that remains in the creek and ensure that they treat the animals.”
Feed and other items are to be distributed to persons who have not yet received in the creek. “They were instructed to go house to house to distribute the feed and also to treat the animals”, he stressed.
Mustapha also expressed concerns for the animals which are trapped in the water. Like farmers, Mustapha noted, that since the animals are wild it is an extreme challenge to get them onto dry land.
However, he noted, that they have since rented a pontoon which would be available for 24 hours, “and the GLDA officers will be working with the farmers to move these animals to higher ground.”
Rohan Oodit, owner of M&B Construction, has since made over 500 acres of his land at Letter T, Mahaicony and Zorg–en-Hoop, Blairmont available to the government for cattle farmers who are in need to relocate their animals.
Also, according to Mustapha, the MMA office will house some small animals.
The Minister stressed, that the situation is worrying as when farmers suffer losses in livestock the entire country suffers.
One cattle farmer located in the Abary Creek told Stabroek News that he has suffered over $7m in losses so far. Bernard Tillack, 59, who has resided in the area for over 45 years now, said “I have never seen the conservancy like this.”
The man reported that due to the rise in water he would have lost around 67 calves, “and now we are getting into a situation where the big ones are dying too.”
He said that the only thing which can be done at this stage is to “extract the cattle” from the location “but that is a big deal to do right now.”
The man stressed, that much emphasis must be place on “getting the water down.”
