GuySuCo says water supply was only temporary

Water supply cut for 700 Crabwood Creek farmers

Following the complaints of 700 farmers at Crabwood Creek, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) that they may be without access to water for their farmlands after the state-run Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) threatened to close the only water source those farmers have, GuySuCo has since responded. According to GuySuCo in 2012, the Skeldon Estate management granted permission to the Crabwood Creek Water Users’ (CCWUA) Association to install High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes beneath the link canal which supplied the farmers with irrigation water from the Halcrow Conservancy. This arrangement GuySuCo said was intended to be a “temporary measure to bring some degree of relief to the farmers while the construction of an adjacent permanent structure was being done. This structure is still to be completed.” GuySuCo in its statement said that on 22 June, 2016 the CCWUA wrote to the Estate management about the HDPE pipe being damaged, “An investigation was conducted by the estate which proved that GuySuCo was not responsible for the damaged pipe.”

The framers however were claiming that the damage was caused by a GuySuCo excavator which was carrying out “private” work. Because of the damaged pipe, water was escaping from the dislocated pipe and into the link canal and, according to GuySuCo the management proceeded to seal both ends of the pipe to prevent further water loss.

“On 4 July, 2016 the members of association requested that the pipes be re-opened so that the farmers can access water; this request was granted based on an undertaking from the association to have the dislocated pipe fixed by 30 July, 2016, failing which the management would be forced to remove the pipe in order to prevent constant water loss.

Hence on July 5, 2016, the Estate management wrote the association reminding them of the undertaking of 30 July, 2016 and notifying them of the further steps which may ensue” said GuySuCo. The CCWUA had expressed concern that all of the farmers in the Upper Corentyne, Region Six community, could be out of water if the GuySuCo Skeldon Estate goes ahead with “a threat” to cut water supply to the farmers. The CCWUA disclosed a letter dated July 5, in which GuySuCo said “the dislocated pipe must be fixed on or before July 30th, failing which management will be forced to remove the pipe…” The Sugar Corporation said it is surprised that “after four years of supporting the farmers by granting permission to install the temporary pipes and engaging them cordially, that instead of informing the management of the Skeldon Estate of any challenges which the association encountered in meeting the deadline given, their preference was to have consulted with the media.”

GuySuCo is of the view that this matter should not have been engaging the attention of the media but rather the CCWUA should have sought to engage the Estate management in further discussions “in the spirit in which they have been doing for the past four years.”