Private farmer given permission to disrupt drainage facility

May 11, 2014 News

The disruption of the main canal (high level) dam at Anna Regina Red Lock is fueling agonizing concerns among the rice farmers and residences of Red Lock and surrounding areas. They are experiencing massive erosion and the inability to obtain water. They also cannot access proper drainage, especially in the housing communities.

Some of the rice farmers and residence of Red Lock.

The main canal dam in question has been cut to facilitate ongoing construction works by a businessman, who was given acres of land and has since ventured into the fishing/farming area aback of Red Lock. The businessman is attempting to access drainage from the Savannahs.
Mary Williams, a resident of Mainstay is condemning the work, citing massive erosion and flooding in the area.
Williams, who is calling for the project to be halted immediately is imploring the officers from the Environmental Protection Agency to visit the Region to see what would be the effects.
The former PNC/R Regional Vice Chairman has indicated that the Mainstay reserve would be affected as well as residents who are living on the Western half, in areas such as Bamboo Landing, Mc Nabb and Lima Sands.
Williams said that in the dry season those residents would not be able to access water for the purpose of washing and in the rainy season massive flooding would result.
Alliance For Change Regional Councillor, Naith Ram, along with APNU councillor, Prince Shepherd, who visited the site on Saturday, said that draining the reservoir in the Red Lock area which acts as a reserve to assist farmers in times of need of water, would have serious complications.
Ram further argued that at the same time the current disruption of the main canal dam would cause Government to have to drain the water that would be emanating from the savannahs. He added that the Government would have to further expend monies to pump water in the dry season.
Rice farmer Feroze Mohamed said that the disruption of the dam would not only seriously affect drainage in the Region but also the two high level dams that secure water for farmers.
When questioned, a senior Region Two officer said that he has no knowledge of the project currently being executed by the businessman. He added that the Ministry of Agriculture may have more knowledge of the acres of land given to the businessman.