West Berbice rice crops swamped

Even though the rain has eased up, 1,600 acres of rice is still under water at the No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9 villages, West Coast Berbice (WCB) and emergency work is being undertaken to bring relief to them.

A representative of the Rice Producers’ Association told Stabroek News last evening that the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary/Agricultural-Development-Authority (MMA/ADA) is currently “breaking off the road to place tubes so the farmers can get drainage.” He said so far No. 7 Village and a section of No. 8 Village have been completed and they were working through the night to finish the rest of the job.

He pointed out too that several other rice farmers in areas, including the Bush Lot Expansion and Section ‘A’ Libyan in the Onverwagt Scheme and at Armadale are being affected. Those farmers, he said, depend on the Abary Creek for drainage. He said the water was receding slowly in those areas and that the canal is being cleared in the Britannia/Tempie area.

A farmer of Bush Lot told this newspaper that his 30-acre rice field between Abary Creek and the Main Canal had taken in excess water due to the overtopping of the dam. He said he had to fill mud in several “manure bags” and placed them along sections of the dam. He then “pumped out the water for three days and two nights non-stop.”

According to him “because the water was so big, duck-weed took over five to six acres. The rest of the rice seems to be safe but if the rain continues, then it would be in bigger problems.” The farmer, who also has other fields, said the flood has not affected the “bigger rice so much.”
Another farmer of Armadale, who has invested in 24 acres of rice at Onverwagt, told this newspaper too that his rice field as well as those belonging to other farmers nearby was inundated.

An excavator at work at No. 7 Village.

He said “water was running over the dam” but they could not block it and they were unable to pump the water out. He visited the MMA for assistance and was told that no machine was available at the time to fix it. When he visits his field today, he would be able to access the extent of his loss.

In a release, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said that Minister of Transport & Hydraulics, Robeson Benn in his capacity as Minister of Agriculture (acting) inspected several flood affected villages in WCB on Thursday.

The minister was looking at locations where to position pumps, particularly at WCB, where rice crops were under threats and “the question of a major intervention on the main road to be able to save acres of rice that are soon to be reaped..”

According to GINA, Minister Benn had said that the situation was being evaluated at No. 8 Village, where in the trenches on either side of the main road, there is a three-foot difference in water elevation.

Minister Benn told farmers and residents at No.8 Village that “no one anticipated the present problem but measures are being put in place to bring relief.” The ministry already has a plan to build a bridge over the affected area under the Bridges 11 programme.

Sea defence breach
General-Secretary of the Rice Producers Association Dharamkumar Seeraj was part of the team that conducted inspections at Brahn, WCB. GINA said that the minister expressed concerns about the delays in works at the site, where there is an 82-metre breach that causes the water to surge through at high tide. He said the water was getting into the façade drains and then backing up into the cultivation areas.

The minister said efforts were being made to encourage the contractor to speed up activity at the site so that the issue can be settled before the next tidal cycle arrives, by mid next month. Work has been ongoing at that location for the past two years and involves the continuation of construction of the sea defence structure.

Residents standing on the deplorable street at Bush Lot that needs fixing urgently.

According to GINA, Chairman of MMA, Rudolph Gajraj said: “We have about 1,600 acres of rice in this specific area that has been affected and we have about 20,000 acres that the breach is slowing up our drainage.”

Meanwhile, residents of Section ‘F’ Bush Lot told this newspaper that the drainage system has been impeded after another resident built a structure across the trench. They said that 20 acres of agricultural land is being severely affected. Residents had sent a letter to the MMA and the Ministry of Agriculture to have the situation remedied.

According to them, a team of officials from the MMA was in the area to conduct inspections and served the resident a letter to have the structure removed. Instead of complying, the resident made false allegations to the police that one of the officials assaulted him

Other residents of Bush Lot First Dam told Stabroek News that their street is in a deplorable condition and needs to be fixed urgently. Wazir Ally said that since he was living in the area for the past 24 years the street, which provides access for residential and agricultural purposes, has never been fixed. He said too that he made many complaints to Regional Chairman Harrinarine Baldeo about the condition of the street but he has never visited. The man said that during the rainy season the street is impassable and the children are unable to attend school.

According to him, his mother is suffering from a stroke and in case of emergency he would not be able to take her out.
He was grateful that an excavator had cleared the canal and said he “begged the operator to move the mud from the side of the dam and place it across the street.” He said a tube which had been installed to provide drainage in the area has been blocked. He noted that it would be better if a “culvert with wings” be built instead.

Ally also pointed out that the area seems to be neglected because a cross street at the back of the village has been taken over by bushes. A bridge to access the street had also collapsed and residents said no effort was made to rebuild it.