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Overtopping leads to flooding at Seawell, and angry residents

Feb 24, 2011 News

Overtopping of the sea defence at Seafield in Region Five on Tuesday caused several sections of West Coast Berbice to be under flood waters.
The areas most affected are Grove, #29, #28 and  Number 30 Village/Union. The residents are furious at the officials of the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary/ Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) for not being as proactive as they should in getting the water off their lands and properties.
Several homes are under water and residents are afraid of a health outbreak of epic proportions.
They are blaming their situation on the negligence of MMA/ADA. They lashed out at the Ministry of Agriculture as well as President Bharrat Jagdeo whom they said visited the area just after the 2005 floods and made a bundle of promises to them.
They added that the area is like that of a basin and that MMA/ADA uses the area for drainage and irrigation. According to the residents, no pump is stationed in the area to drain the water.
According to resident, George Robin, they are taking baths on their steps. He added that kitchens are flooded. He said that pregnant mothers in the area cannot access the roadways as their flooded yards and bridges have made that access impossible.
Robin also was left with several dead poultry animals and anticipated high losses.
Asked to comment on the role of the Regional Chairman, they shouted, “He don’t care! He don’t care! We ain’t getting no good support at #30 and something has to be done because we gonna block the road and the president will have to come down.”
“Only #30 area getting no development and all other areas getting development.”
Oslyn Robin said that her yard is under water and her toilet is overflowing. “When you go to the toilet, the toilet and the water is one. You cannot even get proper drinking water. All the stocks them dying out and centipedes crawling out of the water.”
She added that anytime it rains, the area is always under several feet of water..
They blamed  MMA/ADA Manager, Aubrey Charles, and Chairman, Rudolph Gajraj. “Them na do wha them supposed to do. Somebody thief out the pump!”
The residents said that only when Ministers coming in the village, that pumps would be found. According to them, the pumps would “disappear” as soon as the government officials leave.
Region Five Chairman, Harrinarine Baldeo, said that he received a report by the sea defence department that there was an overtopping in the said area.
“I can’t confirm this. The MMA/ADA is not dealing with the sea defence.”
Baldeo then referred this newspaper to the Public Works Ministry for more information and comments.
“It is not under my jurisdiction. We work with gravity flow, when the tide will fall then we open the sluice. The MMA/ADA is responsible for drainage and irrigation in all the agricultural areas,” he told Kaieteur News.
There are three main sluices in the MMA/ ADA areas on the West Coast Berbice while a few more sluices exist in other areas.

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