Saboteurs attack Region 2 drainage equipment
TWO Caterpillar model excavators operated by the Region Two Administration are currently parked near the Capoey Lake. They have been in an unserviceable state since April of this year.
The two machines were, earlier in the year, taken to the area to carry out works there. They reportedly broke down, and were left at the location ever since.Regional Councillor Hardat Narine told the Guyana Chronicle it is unclear why the two excavators are now unserviceable, but a solution should be found to determine the extent of their damage and the cost of their rehabilitation.
Narine also called for an investigation to be launched into how the pump at the Hampton Court seawall became vandalised and is currently being repaired.
Last September, the John Deere model pump, which has been at the location for close to two years, was vandalised when persons reportedly threw sand into its engine and tampered with its belts. The engineer attached to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) was notified, but no investigation has since been undertaken to ascertain who is responsible for the incident.
The pump is one of two damaged pumps, from a total of nine which were in working order. In the coming months, much will have to be made of the pumps, as the rice crop, currently in its early stage, matures, he added.
He said it was realised that the pump had been vandalised when operators who had gone to start the engine noticed that a cork had been left open, and sand was in the engine when checks were made to determine the serviceability of the machine. In addition, the exhaust pipe had been left to the mercy of the elements, and water was discovered in the oil and fuel system.
Narine said that while he wished not to point fingers, he believed that the act was carried out by persons who are determined to disrupt government in the discharge of its mandate.
During a visit to the region recently, this newspaper observed that the engine was undergoing repairs, and persons reported that the entire machine had to be serviced. The regional administration operates four excavators, Narine said.
Narine said the problem of unserviceable kokers additionally needs to be addressed. He plans to inform the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of his concerns when that body meets in a few weeks’ time.
During this newspaper’s visit to the area recently, it was observed that the Hampton Court and nearby Devonshire Castle kokers were silted over. This negative situation has obtained for years, and while the pumps can drain the land, the kokers control the water levels there.
Former NDIA head, Lionel Wordsworth, had reported in the past that a built-up of “sling mud” in the vicinity of the kokers was the underlying problem.
In a recent visit to the Essequibo Coast, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo informed persons at a meeting at the Anna Regina Multilateral School that there are persons who are carrying out their “own little mischief to ensure that the Guyana Bus does not reach its destination to prosperity”. He said the situation is being dealt with.
The Essequibo Coast is home to many rice farmers, including the largest number of small rice farmers in the country; and drainage and irrigation has been one of the key factors facing farmers.
The Prime Minister assured rice farmers that the administration will continue to support the sector, and he emphasised the important role the sector plays in the economic development of the country.
By Alva Solomon