Breaches in sea defence at Mahaica raise concerns over flooding

Rapid erosion of the sea dam in the Mahaica, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) area now threatens over 25,000 acres of farmland.

Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal has expressed concern saying that Government seemed not to be paying attention to his appeals despite the sea defence being breached at more than one point.
Ramphal told Guyana Times the situation was deteriorating on a daily basis. He said that three months ago he visited the area and having made several observations he contacted the Civil Defence Commission (CDC); the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA); and the River and Sea Defence Board. He said at the time there was just a little overtopping, but the situation has changed significantly now.
The powerful force of the sea has been uprooting the mangroves and with no permanent sea defence, both the farming and residential areas between the Mahaica and Abary Rivers are under threat, he pointed out.
Several sections of the shore have no remaining mangroves as protection from erosion and to break the force of the waves penetrating against the fragile sea dam.
Ramphal noted that currently there were several breaches and the sea dam was also eroding.
“At some points when the water comes up, there is a lot of overtopping and it gets into the main drainage canal which is the Bellamy. If the Government does not allocate the necessary funds to have this problem resolved as early as possible, it can be devastating for the farmers who are cultivating wit in this area,” Ramphal explained, stressing that approximately 25,000 acres were being utilised by scores of farmers for rice and other crops.
The farmers can suffer tremendous losses if the problem is not fixed urgently. According to the Regional Chairman, the Bellamy Canal – which runs adjacent to the sea dam – serves as a drainage canal for the entire area. Silt deposits, as a result of overtopping, have blocked sections of the canal, increasing the risk of flooding.
Ramphal noted that even the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMA\ADA) was officially informed of the situation.
“And so, it is my expectation that this matter be looked at and we have the Government coming in as early as possible and making the necessary allocations so that we can get this entire area fixed,” he said.
According to the Regional Chairman, while all of the Government agencies seem to have given little attention to the situation at Mahaicony, there has been some volunteer work which has prevented a total floodout.
According to the Chairman, there is need for a holistic approach whereby all of the necessary material gets to the site.
He has explained that the project has been advertised with more than six weeks elapsing and the contract has not been awarded.
“We need to have this being done as early as possible, because as the rain continues it will be more difficult for contractors to bring in their material, because the entire embankment is earth and also the access dam to get to the area is muddy,” the Chairman emphasised.