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Submerged rice farm land at Mora Point (Paul Durga photo)

Submerged rice farm land at Mora Point (Paul Durga photo)

June 5 ,2021

Source

Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Board Lionel Wordsworth yesterday dispelled the suggestion that there is a breach of the East Demerara Water Conservancy, which is suspected by residents of Mora Point, Mahaicony River, due to excess water on the land that is continuing to rise.

However, Wordsworth told Stabroek News that water level in the conservancy remains at a manageable height.

He explained that since the start of the rainy season, the NDIA has been monitoring the conservancy’s water level and the most recent assessment has indicated the banks remain uncompromised.

At the same time, frustrated Mora Point residents like Ramchan Jagdbeer are trying to understand why the water is continuing to rise as their losses pile up.

As of yesterday water levels climbed to over two feet, forcing residents to stay in the upper flats of their homes in the community, which is located approximately 15 minutes away by boat from Mahaicony Branch road.

They noted that it was only on Thursday that the water levels started to rise despite heavy rainfall over the past few weeks. Almost all of the residents who spoke with Stabroek News said that they did not think the floodwater was a direct consequence of the rainfall and opined that the East Demerara Water Conservancy was breached.

“This cannot be rain water. We live here for years’ [and] experience so much rainfall but never see nothing like this. The rush this water coming with telling us is water is coming from the conservancy. We don’t know if it break away or it is overflowing but this cannot be rain water,” Jagdbeer contended.

“We went to bed and sleep and wake up back with high, high water. Unto now, the water coming with a speed and we can’t understand why,” the man, who operates a grocery and liquor shop, noted.

The businessman related that many items from his shop, including his freezer and refrigerator, were damaged after the flooding caught them off guard.

“There is nothing we can do at this moment. Everybody in this area suffering losses. For 35 years I lived here and never see anything like this and my dad is 95 years old and he cannot recall anything like this. We are sure this is not rain water, this water coming with too much speed,” he stressed.

According to him, water on the access dam to the community is almost three feet high while in homes it is approximately two feet high.

Paul Durga, a poultry farmer, yesterday said that he has already lost close to $700,000 as 500 layer birds have died as a result of the flooding.  He pointed out that only yesterday he picked up 54 dead birds after visiting the pens.

“These are layer birds that were laying and just starting to lay. At this time, when you were expected to get profit you are getting losses. I have less than 500 birds remaining in the cage and I don’t know what will happen if the water continue to rise because it is already two feet in the pens,” he lamented.

The farmer also lamented being unable commence planting rice for the upcoming crop. “This is going to be a late crop because we were preparing land but how it is looking we will not be able to plant until this rainy season is done. Many rice farmers were about to start farming but the rains come and they hold back,” he explained.

The situation is becoming unbearable, he said, as the community is heavily reliant on farming and many have no alternative to earn.

All over

Meanwhile, Dera Itwaru, another resident of the area, told this newspaper that she too was caught off guard by the flooding.

“Everything in me downstairs get wet up, the fridge, the stove, all my new cupboards get wet up. Where this water come from, we don’t know but it just keep getting higher.  We went to sleep and when we wake up water all over,” she said.

The unexpected flooding, she said, has resulted in her husband, a rice farmer, losing 210 bags of seed paddy, which carries a market value of $945,000.  The flooding also claimed the lives of many of their livestock.

She, too, said that they don’t believe the flood water is solely rainwater as the water level is rising too quickly and coming with a force.

“It is black water, which is telling us that it is coming from the conservancy but they are not telling us anything. Nobody is coming to see what is happening to us. They come and stay at the front but we are suffering at the back here,” she lamented.

The woman explained that during the course of yesterday they had to spend time washing out clothing that was soaked in flood waters.

“When we wake up everything was floating and all we clothes were getting soaked. We didn’t get to put up anything high,” she lamented.

An elderly woman, Sharmattie, said that the flooding has been devastating for them as some of her livestock died.

“Floodwater too much, too much here. Since yesterday we getting flood and the water keep coming up and this not flood water, this is from the conservancy,” she firmly said while noting that it is the worst flood in years.

The woman stated that she and her husband are forced to stay in the upper flat of their home as the lower level of the dwelling, which houses the kitchen, is waterlogged.

Many communities that are situated near rivers and conservancies across the country have been reporting record water levels.

In some regions, authorities have been forced to erect shelters to accommodate families whose homes have been affected by the flooding.

The Civil Defence Commission has also been supplying food and sanitation hampers to affected households, while agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture has been supplying farmers with sustenance for their livestock.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

This doesn't sound too good at all especially the way the residents describe it as not being from heavy rain.

Do not despair....TaTaTaTaaaaaa... SuperAli is here with rainboots an raincoat... he's gonna point at something...flick...there goes the camera....story done...the people lose.

cain
Last edited by cain

Water and more water!

Jun 05, 2021 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists , Source - Kaieteur News Online - https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2021/06/05/692031/

Dem Boys Seh…

Kaieteur News – De country does always flood during de May/June rainy season. But dis time de water from de highlands ketch everybody by surprise. And lots more water coming down from de highlands even though de rain ease up de past couple of days.

Dat is why de government gat fuh do wah de man wah bin in charge of Infrastructure bin talk during de 2005 floods. De man did seh dat all we can do now is to continue to pump.

De problem we have is dat we don’t have enough or large enough pumps. And fuh install powerful pumps yuh need a deep basin which can require digging behind dem kokers. But if yuh dig too deep behind dem kokers fuh create a basin and de basin lower dan de outfall, de water gan flow backwards rather dan through de outfall.

De solution is to dredge dem outfall. Dem gold miner gat “dragons” wah does eat out dem banks of dem creek and rivers. So all you need is two of dem and every month yuh dredge out two outfalls, starting with de most critical.

In de meantime water rising. De creeks and rivers overflowing dem banks and dem houses wah dem nearby flooding. And still some people nah want move out from near the waterside.

It mek dem boys remember de story about a religious man who was stuck on top of he house during a flood.

A man came by in a boat and say, “Quickly get in or you’re gonna drown!”

De religious man say, “I don’t need saving by you, God will save me!”

So de man in de boat row away.

Another man come by in a boat and said de same thing, but de religious man knew dat God would save him so he refused, saying, “I don’t need saving by you, God will save me!”

When he died, he went to heaven and asked God, “Why didn’t you save me?”

God replied, “I sent you two boats!”

Talk half and keep dry!

FM

Move owt an guh.weh?

I think those who are claiming the water might be coming from the conservancy may be right! The authorities may be inclined to lie to calm the people affected!

FM
Last edited by Former Member
@cain posted:

This doesn't sound too good at all especially the way the residents describe it as not being from heavy rain.

Do not despair....TaTaTaTaaaaaa... SuperAli is here with rainboots an raincoat... he's gonna point at something...flick...there goes the camera....story done...the people lose.

You might scoff at Ali (as is your wont), but I think he's a good man (and good Muslim)! It's just his relationship with the unscrupulous Jagde Grate Deceevur I'm skeptical of!

FM
Last edited by Former Member
@Mr.T posted:

These farmers knew what they were voting for when they marked PPP on the ballot paper.

Perhaps they need Noah to come to the rescue. Will there be a redemption for marking an X beside the cup?

Mitwah
@Mr.T posted:

What is finding out going to do exactly? We have a problem, and that needs a solution, not an inquiry.

I can't.agree with you, T? How can you have a proper solution without.determining the cause? You would only.be applying a ' solution' to something that could happen.again! A temporary fix! A patch! A 'plaster for a sore'! Need I go on?

FM
@cain posted:

This doesn't sound too good at all especially the way the residents describe it as not being from heavy rain.

Do not despair....TaTaTaTaaaaaa... SuperAli is here with rainboots an raincoat... he's gonna point at something...flick...there goes the camera....story done...the people lose.

Nah worry. Supa Ali gat mo dan rainboots, raincoat and telescope fuh peep de pump men. He got wan bucket too. He gon bail we out, nah mess wid Supa Ali.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
@Mr.T posted:

Does the fire brigade investigate the cause of a fire before or after they put out the fire?

I'd like to think they would be doing both! What's the use of pouring water on a burning building while the source of the fire keeps emitting gasoline?

FM
Last edited by Former Member

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