With the start of the spring tides today, Agriculture Minister has assured that the koker with the broken door at Garden of Eden on the East Bank of Demerara would be fixed as soon as possible.
“There is the need to prevent any damage to farmers and residential areas. We have already mobilized resources and I am optimistic that the repairs would be done in time to prevent any damage,” he said.
Reports are that a sudden gush of water caused by a passing ship at around 16:00 hrs yesterday caused the koker’s door to break.  Residents, primarily farmers, gathered at the koker as Minister Persaud  visited the site to assess the damage.
The Agriculture Minister stated that workers will be on duty “all night” to ensure that works are completed.
But they had to wait until the tide turned.
Two engineers were also there.
Relative to specific steps being taken to address the issue, Persaud said the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is putting in temporary stop blogs (water control mechanisms) and will subsequently replace the door.
“It seems as if the koker was in a poor state. It is a koker that was managed by the regional administration,” he said.
The Agriculture Minister noted that this problem is one that requires constant monitoring by regional and local government authorities.
He added that the koker doors are wooden ones and so need to be properly monitored and maintained.
Additionally, the sluice attendant, Mr. Stephen Woodsdworth, who worked in that capacity for seven years, said two reports were made to the regional administration regarding the deterioration of the door.
“I do not know if they came or not, because I did not hear any word from them; but I made two reports,” he said.