Jagdeo’s Words are Fraudulent and Deceitful.

Jul 05, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Is Bharat Jagdeo sincere with his words about the West Berbice flood? “I am pleased with the efforts we made…but with all these efforts we made, we couldn’t stop flooding.” I am dismayed by the posturing of this Ex President who tells the present government to “Go to all flood affected areas…” See Stabroek news of June 24, 2014,“ When asked what infrastructure was put in place while his party was in government, the former president made reference to Hope Canal, the construction of Mahaica/Mahaicony Road, and the installations of pumps.” Jagdeo failed to tell the reporters that his PPP government’s removal of the pumps from the black villages of West Coast Berbice, on his watch, is one of the major causes of the floods today in these villages. Even more shocking is the fact that these pumps were sent to Cane Grove on the East Coast and the Corentyne (rumored to be Black Bush), predominantly villages of PPP constituents. Now he acts like a savior taking the moral high-ground. His posturing is fraudulent, dishonest, and disgraceful.
In the 1980’s and 90’s, theses pumps within half a day, and with great efficiency, removed the torrential rainwater which is the major cause of the West Berbice floods, today. The outcry and protests of these villagers is further fueled by the past experience of protesters that compared to Bath Settlement and Bush Lot, they were the last in line to get street lights and roads fixed. The rice, cash crops, and livestock farmers of West Berbice are not only victimized, but also impoverished by the discriminatory practices of the past government and their neglect and failure to act.
Ironically, the villages of Golden Grove, Lovely Lass, Union, Trafalgar (#28), and Tempie (GLUTT) were inundated by persistent rainfall since late April of 2016, after months of drought. The results had devastating effects on the lives of the residents, farmers, crops, and livestock. Since months of appeals to the authorities brought no action, nor relief, the residents responded with public protest on Monday, June 20, 2016. Did the sudden swing from drought to flood expose a deeper-seated problem of these communities and the respective authorities? Most definitely. To fully understand the issues, let us revisit how it unfolded and examine some obvious causes, impact, and solutions for the residents.
Historically, the synchrony of the May-June rains and high tides would transform these GLUTT villages into a South American Venice as it is the catchment area or lowest point on West Berbice between the Abary and Rosignol.
The Mahaica /Mahaicony/ Abary – Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) was launched in the mid-1970’s to alleviate the centuries of flooding by a planned network of canals, conservancy, levees, locks, spill-ware, sluices and pumps after years of scientific and feasibility studies of the hydrology, flora, and fauna of this geographical area. This was a brainchild of the late President Burnham who accepted the studies of the engineers and consultants, and their rationale for the seven-door sluices at De Edward by the Berbice River and smaller sluice at Profit by the Abary River. Another sluice and four(4) huge pump of enormous capacity to dispose of 700 cubic feet of water per second were installed at # 29 Village as it was the lowest point of the catchment area between Golden Grove and Union.
This water management system was novel to West Berbice. The efficiency with which the pumps expelled heavy rainwater accumulation in the early 1980’s to the late 1990’s was astounding as the water would disappear in half a day. Thanks to the Jagdeo government, in 1999, things fell apart with the removal of the two bigger pumps; one sent to Cane Grove and the other to the Corentyne. The majority of residents of this community felt that the government of the day along with the MMA-ADA and National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) took this spiteful decision to penalize traditional PNC areas. The removal of these pumps thus sabotaged an existing effective water management system.
In the face of this crisis, there are reports of a heavily silted sluice at #29 which renders it inoperable, two vandalized pumps laying silent, which needs $40m investments to rehabilitate the pumps. Two temporary pumps on loan from GUYSUCO came only after a high powered government delegation visited the area. Meanwhile, the forensic auditors (TDA LAL & Co. and Nigel Hinds Financial Services) for both MMA-ADA and NDIA, respectively, have uncovered many irregularities including the transfer of assets between government agencies without documents or proper correspondence. In the case of NDIA, for the period 2011 – 2014, $1.8 Billion was expended on repairs, but no one from management could provide any justification for the levels of expenditure on repair works, which was done by contractors.
The central government is now required to step in to clear the channels and outfalls and repair or install new pumps. For our people who suffered in health, inconvenience, structural damage to homes, loss of crops and livestock, it is hoped that the Civil Defence Commission is fulfilling its mandate. I also implore Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramchand to listen to the voices of all the people in Region #5 and not the voices in his head, and serve according to the oath he has sworn to.
Finally, the second and third phases of the MMA-ADA which was never launched, would have seen a return to the land as did grandparents. These farmers had lost capacity to source small loans from the Agricultural Bank and seed paddy from Burma, yet they persevered in cash crops and poultry. The youths need jobs, training to match, and the conditions to grow and develop. It is time to engage the donors to this cause. “Oh, what a tangled web we weave. When first we practice to deceive!” Felecia Hemans from Marmion.

Max Wallerson

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