Massive D&I work to commence at Port Mourant – Agri Minister

…exercise to be replicated across the country

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has announced that a massive clean-up exercise, which includes de-silting the community’s main drainage canal, and removing huge swathes of vegetation at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), is expected to commence within the next week.
The announcement by the Minister was made on Saturday during an outreach to the community.

The Minister was appalled by the state of one of the canals as he passed through the community on Saturday.
“The area is deplorable. Very deplorable. The entire sideline there, both sides, are in a very deplorable state,” Mustapha said as he committed to assigning an adequate excavator to clear the entire area.
“Within one week from now, that excavator that we have in Canje will come here and we will clear the entire area,” he added.
According to the Minister, he has received complaints from Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and municipalities across the country that they do not have the capacity to carry out the amount of work required in their constituency.
He pointed out that the Johns – Port Mourant NDC is a very large one, with several communities in the one village of Port Mourant.

“So you got Portuguese Quarter, Free Yard, Bong Yard, Haswell, Manager’s Compound area, Ankerville, Bangladesh, Miss Phoebe, Tain, Clifton, Johns, a number of other villages. Sometimes the capacity of the local authority is being tested, and they cannot be able to manage the entire area.”
He said at Ankerville, there will be a special programme carried out by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), which is an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture.
“To take out all the bushes, remove all the bushes, clear all the trenches. We will put in two small excavators in this area and clear it from next week, clear the entire area, and remove the spoil. So that we will not put the spoil on the roadside to block traffic or, go back into the trench. I promise you that… We will do this block, completely clean it, and then we will go to another area to clean it, because Port Mourant is in a very deplorable state,” Mustapha said.
The Minister pointed out that many residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the Government because of not getting the needed services.
“We will ensure that we bring those services back, assist the NDC, and we will work with you to develop your community.”
However, he pointed out that citizens also have a responsibility ensuring that the community is up-kept.
“So let us make this a pilot programme in this community, which we can replicate across the region. So next week we have two mini excavators available,” he noted.
Additionally, two pumps will be installed in the community to assist with drainage.
A works committee, which will be headed by Regional Vice Chairman Zamal Hussain, was also established to oversee the work programme.