Region prepared for May/June rainfall

May 04, 2009 News

NEW AMSTERDAM , BERBICE – The Administration in Region Six is taking the necessary steps for the upcoming May/June rainfall. Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha and his team met with all 16 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils in Region Six last week to listen to their concerns and to brief them on plans for the rainy season.

The Administration is now doing the inter-drainage systems in communities using the backhoe. He said he is dissatisfied with the performance of the community enhancement workers, “I told the NDCs that they must supervise these workers effectively. These workers were employed specifically to ensure that the community drainage is in proper order.”

The Regional Administration did some work on the main canals at areas such at Alness, Lancaster/Hogstye, four schemes comprising the Black Bush Polder, Number Fifty-one/Good Hope, Whim/Bloomfield, Gibraltar/Fyrish, Kintyre/Borlam, Ordinance/Fortlands, and Kilcoy/Hampshire.

Internal drains at Angoy’s Avenue in New Amsterdam were also desilted. The team is now working at Number Nineteen where an outfall channel is being constructed. It is about 40 percent finished.

The RDC is also re-excavating the main drainage trench at Number Nineteen Village and a erecting a new structure at Fort Ordinance New Housing Scheme. This area was pruned to flooding and depended on the Sheet Anchor area for drainage but is now having their own.

At Alness a $30 million sluice is being constructed and is 65 percent finished. The main drainage canal at Alness is also being excavated.

Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha is appealing to residents to desist from dumping waste in the drainage system. He called on farmers to stop tampering with the drainage and irrigation structures.

Only last month, some sections of Region Six were affected by excess water after heavy showers during a 12-hour period. Some low lying areas were inundated. The most affected areas include the backlands of Belvedere, a section of the Canefield New Area and the Adelphi New Area.

Last month, the Regional Chairman had said that restoration work was in progress on the Kortbraadt sluice door. At Lonsdale a revetment programme to the tune of $25 million is to be carried out on both banks leading to the Berbice River from the Lonsdale Sluice. Work is also to be carried out at sluice at Zorg en Vlygt, some 20 miles outside New Amsterdam.

These projects are aimed at preventing water, from the Berbice River, from getting into the cultivation area. Several other canals within the Mara/Ma Retraite are to be looked at under this year’s Capital and Current Work Programmes.