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Thriving farming community seeks Govt. intervention
The damaged koker which serves no purpose to the farming community.
By Rabindra Rooplall
Farmers of First Street, Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara are expressing their disgust about the deplorable road conditions that plague the community, slowing up business in the area.
“We went to Robeson Benn; he say is not his Ministry responsibility; is the Ministry of Agriculture. When we visit Agriculture, they send we back to Public Works. It is over four years now our roads have been done with contribution from farmers/ businessmen who do self help works to maintain the road,” one citrus farmer said.
They said that Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn sent some “crush-and-run” to the area; however, this was washed away rapidly after heavy rains. “I don’t know if the person he is sending with the material is selling it or what is really going on, but whatever he sent was minimal and had no real affect.”
According to one of the many businessmen/ farmers, Shameer Mohamed, he is requesting the relevant authorities to visit the community, inspect the roads and listen to the concerns of residents in the farming community.
“Over 200 persons are employed along the street alone. This is one of the most productive streets on the entire East Bank.
And all we are kindly asking for is a better road so vehicles will be better able to traverse in the area to take out their produce without damage. School children and residents also won’t have to walk the one plus mile roadway to reach the public road,” Mohamed emphatically said.
Mohamed, who is also a chicken farmer, said it would take millions of dollars to continuously maintain the roadway, and farmers have exhausted their contributions in helping to patch the road.
Other farmers are saying that Government officials are claiming that they don’t have money to carry out proper road works, however, they are contending if the government gives tax breaks to the farming community, they would be willing to look after the roadway for two years themselves.
Farmers who requested anonymity for fear of victimization explained that four years to date the roadway has been in a terrible state, and the Craig/ Caledonia Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) is not any help in the area.
“I don’t understand why Government would wait until they have to spend $10 to fix something when you can spend $5 and save money for a project that could be done early. But people in authority wait until things get real bad then complain that they don’t have money.”
Another issue raised was that the damaged koker at the drainage trench that cannot close properly. Farmers explained that when water is needed on farmlands for cash crop farmers it is never high enough to reach on farmlands because the koker is damaged and the fresh water has been escaping for over a year. Complains have gone in vain they noted.
“The last time we fix and make up the koker; the NDC put in for it and collected the money. So we are not going to be helping anymore, let taxpayers money be spent on the road and koker, since we are all paying our respective taxes,” one farmer lamented.
Farmers also underscored that there is no health centre in the area and other necessary facilities. It was also noted by the farmers that the 55-year-old bridge that is used to gain access to the community is falling apart. “The authorities only placed two new rails on the bridge and paint it to make the bridge appear to be fully refurbished.”
“Imagine the bar off for the bridge has receded into the river and the concrete under the bridge which is to hold it up has fallen into the river, when something happen then something will be done to fix it.”
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