Defective sluices hurt Essequibo farmers

Jun 07, 2016 News

While the Westbury double door sluice almost collapsed on Sunday, it was however unearthed that five sluices within the Region, namely the Three Friends sluice, Capoey, Adventure, Westbury and another at Onderneeming

The defective sluice on the Essequibo Coast.

are in urgent need of major repairs.

Vice Chairperson, Nandranie Coonjah, said that no materials have been procured to date to effect repairs to the defective sluices.
Coonjah said that over a month now she has been visiting the defective sluice at Westbury and nothing except temporary repairs were done. She said unless monies are released to purchase materials for repairs to be effected on those sluices nothing concrete is being done.
Anthony Mipal, rice farmer and politician who also sat on four committees in the Regional Democratic Council said that should anything go wrong with those defected sluices, Essequibo would be faced with a catastrophe especially at a time when the Spring tide remains in effect coupled with the rainy season.
Mipal added that five sluices are in need of urgent repairs and this issue should no longer be prolonged since 80 percent of Essequibians are farmers.
Mipal argued that drainage is important to the residents of Region Two and for too long they have been complaining and have to wait for things to happen.

A flooded rice field

Meanwhile, rice farmer Prince Holder, reported that some 800 acres of rice lands between Lima and La Belle Alliance on the Essequibo Coast are under water.
Holder explained that what had compounded the issue was the negligence of two pump attendants who failed to show up for duty at the Lima pump over the weekend.
The irate rice farmer said that if the attendants had reported for duty and had put the pump into operation on Saturday, some six inches of water would have receded off the fields.
He however said that the front fields at La Belle Alliance are the most affected.
The pump at Anna Regina was also out of service for days.
Since last week residents at Reliance, Land of Plenty, Richmond, Henrietta and other low lying areas have complained of being affected by flood waters. A team has since visited the Region and the issue relating to defected sluices and proper drainage were addressed. (Yannason Duncan).

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