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Government is seeking to get funds to fix dams in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) which were damaged during the rainy season. These dams provide access to farmlands in the Corentyne, most of them rice lands.
Water levels in cultivation areas are currently high as a result of recent heavy rainfall, hence the irrigation pumps have not been operable for some time. However, all of the access dams in the cultivation areas are in urgent need of attention.
According to Region Six Chairman David Armogan, in excess of $30M will be needed to repair all of the dams in the cultivation area across Region 6. An estimated $8M will be needed to repair dams in the 52-74 area on the Corentyne, and a further $5M for dams in the Crabwood Creek area.
“Black Bush alone is asking for $17.5M, and the front lands would require a further $5M to $6M. It probably will take about $40M to look after all of the dams. It is a lot of funding, and I think the Government is seeking to get the money though the Ministry of Agriculture,” Armogan said as he addressed the Regional Democratic Council during last week.
In Region Six, the second largest rice-producing Region in the country, 57,000 acres are under rice cultivation.
On Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha met with farmers and assured that the dams would be fixed in time for harvesting. Farmers at that meeting, held at the New Market Primary School at #63 Village, Corentyne, expressed concern over the state of the dams, and pointed out that in their current state, it would be impossible to get combines into most of the rice fields.
Rice farmers also claim it would be impossible to get their paddy out of the fields using lorries on the dams in their current state. However, not only rice farmers depend on those access dams; some residents also use them to get to and from their homes.
Davinand Ramoutar, a security guard of Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder, has said it is very important for the dams to be fixed. “The dams are so bad (that) rice cutting is about to come up, and if the dams are not made, it would be a serious problem with the rice industry. Apart from that, if you have a sick person and you want to come out from inside of there now, it is very hard; it punishing!” the retiree has said.
Harvesting should commence within a month, but some farmers in the Black Bush Polder are set to commence harvesting before the end of the month.
“If the rain continues to fall, it will be very difficult to make those dams; but the Minister has asked farmers to assist be utilising whatever tools they have to drain the water off of the land, so that we can send the machines to make the dams. It is a pretty costly exercise, and this is because of the rainy season we have to spend that money,” Armogan has said.
There is also an urgent need to have bridges constructed in some of the cultivated areas. The Regional Chairman has committed the Regional Administration to this.
“The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) had also committed to making some of those bridges,” the Regional Chairman has noted.
