Residents of the Abary, Mahaicony and Mahaica creeks were told yesterday that a canal would be dug to drain the excessive rainfall water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the Atlantic Ocean at a cost of $3B.
During a visit to the creeks yesterday, President Bharrat Jagdeo said that the outlet which would help to reduce the flooding in the area should be completed by mid next year. He said a plot of land has been identified on the East Coast Demerara for the project.
The water in the Mahaicony Creek has continued to rise.
He told the residents that once the canal was completed water would no longer be drained through the creeks. He assured the residents that the canal would be given priority even if it meant shifting the money from roads and other projects as it would offer a long-term solution to their flooding problem. According to Jagdeo, the digging of the canal would entail the cutting of the road and railway embankment and constructing bridges. He said it would not just be a small canal but “a major outlet.”
Almost two weeks ago, the level of water in the creeks began to rise after intense rainfall and the releasing of water from the EDWC through the Maduni sluice. Jagdeo told the residents that the water was not released to “punish” them but it had to be done because of the critical state of the dam. He said if government had not taken that decision there would have been a major “catastrophe.”
Farmers in the area said they lost all their crops and have been running out of dry land for their livestock which have started to dwindle. They said that despite efforts to “build up” their land and raise their pens they could not save anything in the “big water,” causing their only means of livelihood to be taken away.
President Bharrat Jagdeo in a serious discussion with residents of Mahaicony Creek yesterday.
Yesterday while waiting in the creek for the President to arrive, this reporter observed an elderly couple, Mansaram Deochand and his wife, transporting the remainder of their sheep in a boat to higher ground. They said 10 sheep and eight cows had already died for them.
The residents had issued a call for the President to visit the creeks to see the extent of their situation. They also said they needed to be compensated for their loss of crops and livestock and that they also needed a supply of food items.
The President repeated the announcement that Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud– also part of the visiting team–made at the Mahaicony Creek last week that the farmers would be assisted with planting materials and fertilizer to start their crop again at the end of the rainy season.
Jagdeo also told the farmers that government would assist with some fuel while the Civil Defence Committee would be distributing food hampers to a few poor households. He said he did not want to make flood relief a “dependency issue because people with a little water accumulation would expect relief.”
An elderly couple transporting the remainder of their flock of sheep away from the floodwaters yesterday so they can survive.
He mentioned too that while he did not want to sound “pessimistic,” the rainfall would continue. According to him, the completion of the second phase of the MMA scheme would also bring relief but that project would cost US$60 million.
‘we can’t stop the rain’
At the Abary Creek, where the President made his first stop, one resident, Mahase Prahalad said that they have suffered flooding since 2005 and that while “we can’t stop the rain” the EDWC should be kept at a low level one month before it starts.
The President responded that the level was at 52 GD [Georgetown Datum] and after the rainfall continued it rose to 59 GD. He said water must have flowed from the backlands even before rain started in the creeks and on the coast. He added that dredging of the Abary River would cost US$5M and that they were still “waiting on the Venezuelans”.
Prahalad also mentioned that during the flood last year he “fight” for the mouth of the Abary River to be cleared and that within a few days the water started to flow. He said government provided the fuel and labour cost and a farmer provided his “short-boom excavator.” He made a request for the work to be continued. He also said when the trees are chopped they are left in the creek, causing it to be silted up more.
Jagdeo then decided that the method of clearing the mouth would be tried again and said that a “long-boom” excavator would be provided for the job.
Farmers also complained that the access dam at Onverwagt was in a deplorable condition and that during the rainy weather it was difficult to transport their paddy. The President responded that he learnt that some farmers were using the dam indiscriminately with heavy-duty vehicles. He then asked Chairman of the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary/Agricultural-Development-Authority (MMA/ADA), Ronald Gajraj, to introduce a “pass system” and if persons traversed the dam more than four times with such vehicles they would have to pay.
According to Jagdeo, persons are looking to government to fix the road but there was no money for that.
This prompted farmers to blurt out that “since the road build it never maintained,” except for sand that is thrown in the potholes and gets washed out during the rain.
The President agreed to the farmers’ suggestion that if they lost their crops MMA should use consideration and waive the charges. He also asked farmers to desist from “building small kokers in big trenches” which “becomes a choking point and blocks everyone.”
Upon requests, the head of state promised the residents and farmers that an excavator would be provided to empolder their land, mentioning that 350 residents of Mahaica, Mahaicony and the Pomeroon had already benefited. A group of housewives complained about the condition of the dam that their children have to traverse to attend school and requested that a boat be provided to transport them to school. The President promised to honour their request and instructed Regional Chairman of Region Five, Harrinarine Baldeo, to include it in this year’s budget.
Also accompanying the President on his trip were general managers of the Rice Producers Association, Dharamkumar Seeraj; the Guyana Rice Development Board, Jagnarine Singh, and the MMA Aubrey Charles; veterinary officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and other officials.
Atleast a solution to the flooding problem has been thought of! And a promise that by next year the canal should be completed. From there on we can see how effective the Better Hope canal would be. In addition to this plan, a greater solution can be found to solve the flooding problems on the East Coast and Mahaicony, Mahaica and Abary Rivers. I congratulate President Jagdeo for this initiative for one can can see how the President is concerned for his people.
Where is the study for the initiative concerning this canal. I remember flooding of several villages at Essequibo coast during the 60’s and 70’s. Under the PNC government Reed & Malik dug canals 40 feet wide for drainage and irrigation, those villages are still being flooded. I remember flooding of East Coast villages in the 60’s when the PPP was out of government, they went into power in 1992 knowing about the East Coast floods, where they expecting the flood to ceased automatically.
What ever happen to preventative maintenance, while the Govt. and engineers try to find the best solutions. I remember in the 60’s to 80’s there were Rangers for the sea defense and the conservancy, these rangers will observe and prepared reports that were used for preventative or remediation work.
Why engineers or designers allow replacing railway bridges and culverts with smaller pipe culverts higher than the natural canals bottom on the ECD, was there any study? was surveyors used by the contractors to install the undersized pipe culverts?
Anmol, we all want a solution to the flooding but we expect to see it done right not rushed and promised out of compassion?. It is also time citzens play there part by stop damaging dams with their boats and cattle, report damage of dams, kokers, sluice, pumps,seawalls etc. Farmers and operators should ceased buying diesel that are consigned to irrigation pumps.
Lastly, fellow Guyanese do we not remember why the Dutch and English built houses on stilts, to avoid flooding of their homes.
This Govt. is battle tested and will prevail in the end, I am happy at how perceptive you are, this man is a river(no pun intended)to his people.
lolololololo stop it stop it anmol sharma u making me puke
What ‘due dilligence’ has been done, before Mr. Jagdeo made this significant announcement of a new canal?
So far all the drainage systems; rivers, creeks, canals, water conservancy, drainage and irrigation structures etc., have not solved this problem of flooding in the low coastal areas of the country.
If the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary creeks and all the other drainage systems in this area, are unable to adequately drain the land during these rainy periods; will a new canal despite the best intentions, make the situation better or worse ?
Mr. Jagdeo and other members of the administration, should desist from these ‘on the spot’ and ‘ready made solutions’, ‘quack doctoring’ etc., (due largely, to narrow partisan political objectives) in dealing with the floodings, drainage and irrigation and other major issues, which brings tremendous hardship on these communities.
These affected communities know what the problems are, particularly, in relation to the silted abary river and its mouth; provide them with the machinery and some resources and, they are capable of desilting this Creek and other drainage outlets, without the Venezuelans.
They (community)should not continue to suffer, as a result of the PPP’s administration narrow ideological reason – of ‘waiting on the Venezuelans’.
Evileyes:
“ohhh lawd it cold here in canada and de darn govt ent doing nothing to stop de cold or not even trying to move we to warmer gounds….lawd lawd lawd…talk about govt of canada too…dem people in the swanp desreve wut dem get…dem know de rain gon fall and ent bother to make preparation H for it…suh stay deh and drown…like we have to stay hey an freeze….de govt of canada should stop de cold likewise de govt of guyana must stop de rain….”
_______________________________________________________________________
1. Is your roadway driveable and passable?
2. Have you lost your home and livelihood to the cold?
3. Were there adequate snow ploughs provided by the municipality?
4. How long did it take for the snow ploughs to clear your street?
5. How sonn after the snow were you able to drive?
6. Does your yard in Canada flood for weeks after the snow melts or
when it rains?
7. Do you require a snowmobile to navigate following the snowfallls?
U Mr soldier I’m waitn for the next rainy season, and u will tell me if ur gov isn’t incompetent, u n ur gov is full of it ….peace out
Good luch with this plaster of paris band aid wasteful nonsense.
Great improvement! But will the landowners pay their leases? Where will the govt get the money to repay the loan?
Well Bloggers take a look at this…. Check out Mr. Ali’s background, decide what is his role as REO, then take a closer look at WHERE monies are allocated and how many of these projects were actually STARTED.
http://myguyanachronicle.com/2008/04/01/reo-outlines-expenditure-
in-region-4-2178b-budget/
Here’s a quote::
REGIONAL Executive Officer (REO) of Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica), Mr. Shafdar Alli recently unveiled a $2.178B budget for 2008, noting that it is 14.8 per cent more than in 2007.
According to him, current expenditure, this year, will be in excess of $2B, for Regional Administration and Finance, Agriculture, Public Works, Education Delivery and Health Services sectors.
Regional Administration and Finance would account for $89M; Agriculture $129M; Public Works $161M; Education Delivery $1.4B and Health Services $202M, Alli said.
This year’s budget would see great improvements in a number of sectors. The work programme is based on consultation with the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) within the region and other stakeholders,” he explained.
Alli said more attention will be placed on maintaining existing structures, especially those within education and health, while the road network would be tremendously better.
The REO also pointed to the 7.6 per cent increase in Capital Works, totalling $140M, as compared to $130M in 2007, including $12.5M for the construction of two heavy-duty bridges at Clonbrook and Unity, Mahaica.
He said $38M will be spent on education and $10M of that sum is for continuing work on the Practical Instruction Centre at Buxton. Major renovation is slated for primary schools at Cane Grove and Annandale, also on East Coast Demerara and Laluni and Low Wood, along Demerara River.
The nursery school at St. Cuthbert’s Mission will also have major repairs done to it and the restoration of health centres at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara and Buxton would commence shortly.
The erection of living quarters for nurses/midwives and community health workers at St. Cuthbert’s are other scheduled projects estimated to cost $14M, Alli stated.
He said a further $26M spending is for improving roads, among them the access road at South Better Hope and First Street, Melanie Damishana, the Double Road at Logwood, Enmore and Second Street, Success, all on East Coast Demerara, as well.
Alli said agricultural development is expected to absorb $30M, for constructing a revetment at Cane Grove and a koker at Hope, East Bank Demerara, together with undertakings at canals at Clonbrook, Two Friends, Buxton and Beterverwagting.
He said tender documents for roads, bridges and developing agriculture are currently being prepared by the Engineering Department. (Nathalene DeFreitas)
Next check out this link.
http://stabroeknews.com/news/over-77-region-four-budget-spent-%E2%80%93-reo%E2%80%99s-office/
I will keep it simple, old people always say, one once of prevention, is better than a thousand pound of cure. But all politician must score points.
An interesting article some of which is related to the flooding problem in Guyana. Special note should be taken of the fact that the lands along the East Coast are lands that were actually reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean by the Dutch.
http://www.canadianworldtraveller.com/Destinations_&_Articles_Guyana_Fall_08.htm
I don’t think the seawall look so clean now