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New Hope residents at odds with businessman over location of dam
Residents of New Hope, on the East Bank Demerara, complain that they are constantly under flood water as a result of the breaking down of a main dam.
On Tuesday, the residents were making attempts to rebuild the structure which separates them from a soon to be developed housing scheme.
A New Hope resident steps away from the area where the dam was broken down.
Representatives from the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) also say that they are at their wits’ end, with respect to convincing the owner of the area where the housing scheme will be erected, a businessman, that moving the dam from its current location will cause great inconvenience. According to the Chairman of the Caledonia/Goed Success NDC, Dwarka Nauth, this has been an ongoing problem for the NDC and residents.
He said that on more than one occasion they pointed out to the businessman, other proper alternatives to drain his land.
However, Nauth said, the businessman chooses the easy way of draining his land, which consequently affects the residents.
He stated that on each occasion when the dam was damaged it was the NDC who did the repairs.
He added that the residents and the NDC are now left with no other alternative but to seek the Ministry’s intervention.
In addition, Ragunandan Singh, Overseer for the NDC, explained that the canal in the New Hope area was designed to hold a certain volume of water, not the water being drained into it from the imminent housing scheme.
He added that there is infrastructure on the northern side of the housing scheme to take off the water and there is also means of draining the land through a koker.
“He (the businessman) wants the short way, for umpteen time he cuts the dam, and we have to spend money to fix the dam, every time we give him resistance he runs to the higher level.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, residents who were doing self help work to save their community said they are fed up of the situation. Some residents say the excess water on the land is affecting their livelihood.
One resident explained that members of the community pooled their money and did work on all inverts in the area but all their works are in vain.
“We imploded a dam to stop swamp water from the housing scheme coming onto our land…we stopped flooding in our area, he lead his water in our land, his plan shows a large amount of land but no drainage system in place,”.
“I met the man and he told me I am talking nonsense and he got money and he could do what he likes”.
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