Source
A tyre on fire during the protest at Black Bush Polder last night.
Kaieteur News – Black Bush Polder residents took to the streets last evening in frustration, setting alight tyres on the road and blocking the free flow of traffic including the Vice Chairman, Zamal Hussain, who was visiting the location. The police were forced to intervene and quickly moved to quell the blaze, arresting three persons in the process, Regional Commander, Jairam Ramlakhan, confirmed.
The protest comes in the wake of a visit by Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, and Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, where several emergency decisions were made to assist in providing relief to residents in Black Bush. However, it appears that the residents are still not satisfied and decided to register their anger with a protest.
Reports are that the residents became angered after a drainage tubing was removed from Mibicuri to the Lesbeholden area on the direction from the NDC. The residents are contending that the tubing should not have been removed but rather remain in place for the draining of the water from the polder. The tube was removed after the NDC reps noticed the water level was raising in Lesbeholden, Kaieteur News understands.
There is currently a pump operating at Eversham to pump water out from Lesbeholden but residents say that the water continues to rise in Mibicuri. It is understood that arrangements are being made to have another pump in place at Eversham. The tube is expected to be opened for the draining of the water from Mibicuri into Lesbeholden where it to then be pumped out. Additional information provided revealed that there was a breach in the Yakusari Savannahs but it has since been blocked off.
The Agriculture Minister had made a decision on Wednesday to have more pumps added to Black Bush to boost the efficiency of pumping the water. He had also said that an excavator would remain at each of the four polders in the Black Bush Polder area.
