MMA releases excessive water flooding rice fields, residential areas

As rains continue to batter the coastland and other locations across Guyana, farmers and residents in several Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) communities have registered their concerns over being inundated for nearly two weeks. On Tuesday, Guyana Times visited the area and met with many of the residents in the affected villages of Bush Lot, Armadale, Number 30 village and Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice.
This newspaper was told that the East Demerara Water Conservancy has reached its maximum level an

d as such, the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) opted to release the excess water into the main irrigation canal. The gauge is near 59GD but its maximum should be 57GD.
Farmers explained that the release has caused the water to overflow and backup into their farmlands, which has resulted in millions in losses.
One farmer, who plants some 300 acres of rice, told this publication that most of his acreage is under water. He explained that the main canal is some 18 inches above the normal level.
“Many spots have given away and water is going from the main canal into the Abary [which] is rising. It has been affecting cattle and rice, farmers are people living here and onto now, we haven’t seen anybody from the Government, nobody from the authorities, to come and tell farmers something,” the man added.
A rice, cassava, plantain and livestock farmer, who gave his assessment of the continued flooding, observed that it was mismanagement on the part of MMA that led to the inundation.

“This problem we are facing now is a manmade disaster through mismanagement by the MMA because they had failed to maintain the spill wear in the conservancy. They using the main irrigation canal as drainage to release the conservancy [water],” he expressed.
In an effort to combat the overtopping, many farmers deployed pumps in their fields to release water from their farms, and have been pumping the water into the canals in other areas. This has proved a costly exercise and has led to some spin-off flooding as well. A rice farmer, who plants 33 acres of rice and rents several more explained that he spent some $360,000 in excavation and dam construction. Some farmers told this newspaper that they should be compensated for the losses they have faced over the last few weeks.

Additional costs
Chairman of the Region Five Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Vickchand Ramphall who was also in the area on Tuesday echoed the calls that the farmers made, pointing out that since farmers have already paid for the services of the MMA, they should not be compelled to cover additional costs.
“They are paying drainage and irrigation charges to the MMA and I believe they should be provided with the right service so that they should not incur additional expense in draining their fields,” the Chairman observed.
Questioned over the regions response to the flood situation, he maintained that MMA has full control over the farming areas but noted the difficulties that exist in catering to residential locations.
“For the residential areas, the Council has to take [responsibility] that [but] we have a difficulty that is being created by our own people and that is the Regional Executive Officer (REO) is refusing to meet with me to discuss the way forward across the flooding is Region Five.”
The Regional Chairman expressed that the Councilors and officials within the RDC should put personal issues aside and work together on implementing or recommending projects to alleviate the flooding.
“All personal differences should be thrown behind our backs and let us put the people of Region Five first and let us work hand in hand to bring relief to the many families that are affected, to the farms that are under water and livestock that have been suffering during this time of flooding,” Ramphall noted.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Rice Producers Association (RPA) Dahramkumar Seeraj, observed that compounded with recent flooding, Region Five farmers are faced with many financial challenges.
“We know that some of the farmers would have carried heavy losses which are coming against the background where you have increased charges for drainage and irrigation and land rent from $3500 to $15,000 per acre and immediately after the increases, we are faced with a situation where farmers are losing because of flooded conditions,” the Opposition Parliamentarian remarked.

Bush Lot, Armadale, Number 30 Village
Meanwhile, it was also explained that excess water in the main canal is also contributing to immense flooding in Bush Lot, Armadale, Number 30 Village. Farmers at Bush Lot and Armadale, in much frustration pointed out that their celery plants were covered in flood waters for a few days and will die in the coming days. They expressed much disgust over poor drainage in the communities, noting that the Rosignol sluice is the only of four that is functioning at full capacity.
Residents in Number 30 Village explained that several ducks died due to prolonged flood conditions. They noted that it was only Tuesday that the flood waters started to recede. Many of the Region Five rice farmers stated that they sought dialogue with operatives within the MMA but alleged that they were told that General Manager Aubrey Charles had to attend to other matters. When Guyana Times visited the MMA office Tuesday, the General Manager and Chairman Kenneth Sealey were both not in office.