Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud on Saturday told Hamlet-Chance farmers that all outstanding Mahaicony drainage works will be competed by mid-December.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Persaud told the farmers from the Neighbourhood Democratic Council that a tremendous amount of money is being spent in the Mahaicony area and government intends to continue investments in the creek and other areas.
As regard the matter of clearing 1800 rods of a D&I canal flowing through private property he said, “The policy is very simple. We (government) do not touch private canals as a matter of routine but if situations arise where we see these canals have an impact” then assistance is provided. GINA said farmers only pay about 20% of the D&I rates. Persaud said he was told that some farmers were willing to give up their allotted 16 hours of work to allow work on the canal to be completed with the excavator assigned to the MMA-ADA.
On the issue of illegal structures blocking outflow canals Persaud told the farmers that all legal means would be used to have them cleared as soon as possible. He asked the regional chairman to meet with the persons in a week’s time for discussions. The minister also clarified that the US$760M World Bank money identified for a D&I survey was a grant “to gather technical information so that we can access funding.” The data will be used to provide information to the funding agencies to access money for works on the East Demerara Water Conservancy dam and the completion of the MMA-ADA project.
Meanwhile, a new river embankment was recently built at Perth Village to facilitate drainage between that village and Mortice into the Mahaicony River.
