The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has installed two mobile pumps to drain the Maria’s Lodge/Cullen area on the Essequibo Coast, where flooding is currently an issue.

A bypass drainage channel at Uno Creek has also been activated to improve drainage, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a press release.

According to the release, the accumulation of water on the land was a result of increased rainfall “coupled with farmers’ request for irrigation water”.

It said that the situation was further complicated by the ongoing construction of a new double door sluice at Golden Fleece, which necessitated the blocking of the existing sluice.

The Agriculture Ministry said that the two pumps were put into operation and the Region Two Administration and the NDIA were in the process of installing two additional pumps to further boost the drainage system in the affected area and to reduce the accumulation of water in residential and farming areas.

The NDIA and the regional administration are asking farmers within the catchment areas to cooperate with the administration in monitoring water levels and to report any incidence of tampering with structures to ensure there is no additional water burden on the drainage system.

The NDIA would also like to remind farmers and residents of low-lying areas to take necessary precautions in anticipation of the end of year rains and to report any malfunction of drainage and irrigation structures, the release said.