Residents bemoan condition of main access canal in Pomeroon River

Apr 06, 2018 News

The weed-choked, heavily-silted access canal in the Pomeroon River.

The Region Two Democratic Council, (RDC) is being blamed for the condition of the main access canal in Martindale\Friendship, Pomeroon River.
The issue was highlighted during a recent visit to the Pomeroon by Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson.
During her visit, Minister Ferguson met the residents who spoke of the plight. Not only is the canal weed-choked, but the situation is getting worse. Several sections of the waterway have not been cleared for some 15 years.
Persons living along the riverain area have been complaining about the adverse effects of the clogged canal. With no other access in and out of communities along the Pomeroon River, the people say it’s a necessity to have the area cleared.
Kaieteur News understands that those traversing the waterway are constantly faced with the anxiety of reaching destinations on time; school children or those taking medical aid to the communities have to spend much longer travelling on water before reaching their destination.
Further, the residents have lodged several complaints about the condition of the main access canal with the Regional Democratic Council.
Regional Councillor, Julian Cummings, explained however that the Regional Democratic Council, (RDC) “has not made any attempts to help the poor people of Friendship.”
Cummings noted that the complaints appear to have “fallen on deaf ears.” The people are frustrated by the non-action of the administration. Efforts to get money by way of a budgetary allocation are almost impossible. The last time such an attempt was made the allocation was struck off”.
According to Cummings, almost every school in the area has a sanitary problem.
“Last visit during the big flood to St John, water from the cemetery was flowing into school compound … black like my palms and smelly. That’s the condition that the school children have to face.”
Neelan Benjamin, a boat operator in the Pomeroon River, where he has also been a resident for the past 22 years, spoke of the difficulties he faces manoeuvring the heavily-silted main canal.
“It is very difficult; it is only by the grace of God [that] we are surviving. In case of an emergency, we cannot travel in and out of here easily,” Benjamin said, adding that several of his boat motors have been damaged, owing to the condition of the canal.
Additionally, the resident noted that there is no access to potable water and electricity.
He said too that the school children are left without teachers on several occasions.
“Sometimes, one or two teachers to an entire school; we don’t have a medical doctor coming in the region,” Benjamin added.
Reginald Mannie, a former Chairman of Co-op farmers group in the Region, explained that over the years the condition of the canal has worsened.
“We used to clear it under the Co-op….Now things get worse, the canal is not supposed to be in this condition. If everybody cleans their spaces, it would not be in this condition.”
He said that Regional administration must step up and have the canal cleared.
“And the government should build two outlets to the sea because in the rainy season, the Pomeroon River does overflow the banks.”
Meanwhile, Minister Ferguson told the residents that immediate efforts will be undertaken to have their concerns addressed.
The Minister noted that the responsibility of the Pomeroon rests with the Ministry of Communities and the Regional Administration, which will be notified.

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