Floodwaters in the Black Bush Polder have slowly begun to recede. On Wednesday, residents of some areas, which were previously under water in Yakusari, were breathing a sigh of relief.
The Polders of Johanna and Yakusari were inundated on Friday last following a few hours of heavy rainfall. However, by Sunday most of the water had come off the land at Johanna, although even up to now the waterways are still filled to capacity; but at Yakusari, the water continued to rise.
When Guyana Times visited the Polder on Wednesday, the Yakusari Primary School was still under water.
Regional Chairman David Armogan told this publication that efforts are continuing to have vegetation removed from the Yakusari main drainage canal. He noted that works are also being done to have the sluice doors operable. According to the Chairman, at the same time efforts are being made to clean the outfall channel at Joppa Number 43, which channels water from the Yakusari drainage canal into the ocean.
However, residents expressed concern over the fact that the machine clearing the vegetation from the canal is constantly inoperable, due to the constant need for repair.
Residents have also indicated that there have been several reported cases of diarrhoea, however, Director of Regional Health Services, Jevaughn Stephens said medical supplies have been boosted at the Mibicuri Hospital and the Regional Environmental Officer is expected to be visiting the affected communities today.
On Friday last, residents – most of them cash crop farmers – accused the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) of not taking the necessary measures ahead of time to prevent the flooding.
They pointed to the fact the Yakusari main drainage canal was covered with vegetation and the sluice door at Number 43 Village was silted.
The farmers also lamented that the outfall channel was silted, which only allowed for a limited flow of water to the Atlantic.
Regional Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Chairman David Armogan in an invited comment accused the NDIA for not ensuring that the Yakusari main drainage canal was cleared in a timely manner. He noted that the contractor, who the NDIA had given the contract to, did no work for the year and hence the contract should have been terminated.
Armogan said in addition to that the contractor did not finish cleaning the canal last year.
Regional Vice Chairman Dennis DeRoop, who chairs the Regional Works Committee, had previously reported that the contractor was paid in full for last year and did not do all of the work as required; however, the NDIA renewed the contract for 2019 and for the first five months, the contractor executed no works.
Meanwhile, as the water has showed signs of receding, Armogan said the regional administration is ensuring that the pumps at Eversham which drain Mibicuri, and also the pump at Joppa which drains both Yakusari and Johanna, are in operation when the tide is high and the sluice doors have to be closed.
The Black Bush Polder is made up of Lesbeholden, Mibicuri, Johanna and Yakusari.
“So we are cleaning the canal, getting the sluice door operable and cleaning the outfall channel so we hope that in another few days all of the water will be off the land.”
However, even as the waters were reseeding, there was a heavy downpour in the polder on Wednesday afternoon.
