The 25–kilometre road which Cabinet had given a no-objection for the design and supervision in January will most likely stretch from the Number 58 Village, Corentyne towards the Canje Creek and is expected to open up a large swathe of land, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill said on Saturday.
A consultation was held at Number 36 Village, Corentyne among Edghill, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, residents and farmers. During the consultation a handful of farmers argued that the road should be at Number 52 Village, Corentyne as initially planned since they believe that there are more lands in that area.
Edghill however relayed that they have done extensive research and conducted visits to all three areas: 57/58, 58/59 and 52/53.
He explained that the intention is to build a road all the way to the Canje Creek then possibly a bridge over the creek and then other roads so as to access additional lands, stressing that the project will have to be done in phases.
“But now our focus is on getting the road from the Corentyne highway all the way to the Canje Creek and wherever that road is located it must open up new lands”, he said.
In January, Stabroek News reported Mustapha announcing that the road will stretch from Number 52 Village, Corentyne to the Canje Creek. However, farmers at that meeting objected to this and requested further consultations be done claiming that if the road stretched through Number 58 then lands will open up on both sides instead of on one side as in Number 52, Village, Corentyne.
Edghill on Saturday said that a decision was taken that whichever dam is chosen in Number 58 Village, Corentyne, then out of the $1b available “we will do a design for $750m and because Number 52 road is already a very heavily used road that gives access to a number farmers we will do a design for 2021 that will accommodate some works up to $250m, so we will do some work on the Number 52 road while we seek to advance the developmental agenda of a road from Corentyne highway to Canje Creek phase 1, $750 M in 2021.”
Meanwhile, based on their information, Edghill said that whether the road is built on the 57/58 dam or 58/59 dam the beneficiaries will practically remain the same. “However I have the understanding as well that when you reach to the Seaforth Canal, the 58/59, because historically there was some activity there decades ago, there is a possible alignment on the 58/59 dam that will carry you further down and then you will get into a forest area, it will have to open.”
While, through the 57/58 road the opportunity will be the same, Edghill said “My engineers have confirmed to me at the Seaforth canal we don’t necessarily have to build a bridge we could use concrete culverts which would cut the cost because there is no boat traffic.”
He further explained, that “The big decision is if it is the 58/59 dam which is one part of 58 or on the other side which is 57/58… At 57/58 the dam is wider, at 58/59 the dam is narrow. In order to build a road we must get drainage if I have to use money to do revetment or put in some form of infrastructure to prevent slippage you get less road… At the 58/59 you don’t have the width to have enough shoulders so you will have to probably do some form of revetment to get the width to get the road to a particular size. At 57/58 the road is broader and we can probably accommodate some shoulders.”
The minister said that since it is already July, “it is time for this road to be awarded and construction to begin… We want to ensure that everybody is on board of where we are putting the road.”
Meanwhile, one farmer on Saturday stated that he would support the 57/58 dam since it is a wider dam while the others would need major revetment works.
Ramgolam Singh, a rice farmer said that while the 58/59 dam is narrow he consulted with a farmer who owns lands in the area and “he is willing to give some land there and the rice field is our area and we willing to give excess if that is necessary… It’s that when you establish bridges and tubing please put it in concrete and at the Seaforth you can establish a check sluice so that we can regulate the water in 52/66.”
Costing
Edghill sought to confirm whether the owners are willing to give the land without it costing the government a cent, to which Ramgolam said “yes.” However, other farmers chimed in and said that that should be put in writing.
Another elderly farmer explained, that the 57/58 dam will give a straight alignment within the two schemes at the back. “So based on alignment the 57/58 dam will give you a straight dam, the 58/59 dam you will have to make a little deviation”, he explained.
Edghill then added that the dam should also be selected on sound engineering solution and cost.
However, Lekha Rambrich, another rice farmer, questioned where the new lands in No. 58 would be, “Can somebody show us where the new lands that that road will open up Minister?” he asked.
Edghill responded, “Based upon the aerial view that the consultants would have provided beyond the cattle savannah there is forest we have to get to that forest and clear that forest for new lands going to the Canje Creek.”
According to Edghill, while there are some available lands at Number 52, in Number 58 after the Seaforth crossing and past the cattle pastures there are “new virgin lands that you could see from the cover of the aerial view, there are all new lands, forest that we have to clear.” According to Rambrich, at Number 52 there will be 3,000 acres of land and 5,000 acres of land on the two sides “and then you can go over Black Bush Polder because you have a road that 30-tonne trucks use to run on.”
Rambrich argued, “Now we’re talking about building a road through the cattle pasture and we gonna have cattle climbing on this road and I don’t understand how they will get 4,000 head of cattle climbing on top of this road. Are we building a road or are we building a cow pen? Five years from now there will be no dam, no road, there will be nothing and then 2025 there will be something for the opposition to label us for.”
Edghill responded, “The only thing people will label us for in 2025 is bringing development to Guyana by facilitating people to have access to new farm lands.”
At this stage the two groups began to interrupt each other.
Another rice farmer pointed out, that in Number 58 over 1,000 farmers will settle on both sides while as the road progresses farming will increase.
