The return of the spring tides is once again threatening the livelihoods of Mahaicony farmers between Dantzig and Fairfield, in Region Five, as they remain exposed to the Atlantic Ocean.
Despite months of works on the sea defence breaches, the initial breach is still to be sealed and yesterday’s spring tide saw what was once considered rice cultivating lands quickly inundated.
The tide, which was at its highest at 10.83 feet yesterday afternoon, overtopped sealed sections of the sea defences.
When Stabroek News visited yesterday, it was only the eight-foot inland dam that was recently constructed, which prevented the water from surging into residents’ yards. Water levels, however, were slowly rising to the top of the dam.
The current spring tides are in effect until Thursday.
One resident told Stabroek News that while residents were relieved that water did not get into their homes, they are still concerned at how exposed they remain. However, it was explained that works are slowly being executed because of powerful waves from the Atlantic.
Two separate spring tides last year devastated the lives of residents of the area, leaving them to contend with flooding and resulting damage. Hundreds of acres of rice fields and animals were lost as a result of the flooding. Losses are estimated to be in the millions.
In a bid to prevent flooding of residential yards, an inland dam was created by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) between Fairfield and Dantzig, Region Five, to ease the suffering of residents.
Head of the NDIA Fredrick Flatts had explained in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the construction of the dam was the “best solution at hand.”
“We plan to build a secondary dam between Fairfield and Dantzig. The secondary [dam] would be very high, about eight feet high above the land and about 12 feet top width. It’s a significant dam. That dam will start at the sea defence to cross the Bellamy Canal coming about 800 feet into the land, then go parallel to the sea defence and come back in at Fairfield,” he was quoted as saying.
The residents of Mahaicony became vulnerable as a result of the breaches in the sea defences along Dantzig to Fairfield. The three-kilometre stretch along the shoreline was affected by major erosion of the foreshore and depletion of the mangrove fringe. Millions of dollars have been spent on the rebuilding of the sea defences that broke away mid last year.
