PEOPLE’S  National Congress Reform Councillor of the Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Mr. Rudolph Garraway, lamented yesterday that high tides have again flooded farms along lower Pomeroon River.
Speaking at the statutory meeting of RDC, he reported overflowing of the river defence dams and flooding of farms, houses, shops and poultry pens.
Garraway said the areas affected are St John, Aberdeen and parts of Hackney Canal.
According to him, farms have been completely destroyed and the livelihoods of farmers are seriously affected.
He said the victims are sailing in boats to assess their losses.
During discussion on the issue, Regional Chairman Alli Baksh said he visited the area during the September Spring tide and had a first hand look at the situation on both banks of Pomeroon River.
He said a team, headed by Mr. Nizam Hassan of new Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) and including Agriculture Ministry officials, also met farmers and held discussions with them.
Mr. Baksh informed Councillors that the group also distributed planting materials,  fertiliser and foodstuff to farmers and their families who suffered the effects of the September tides.
He said the Regional Administration has done a lot of development works in lower Pomeroon River and the focus will be on raising the river defence dam along both banks.
Garraway said farmers courageously went back to their farms and started replanting but all their labour was lost when the Spring tides returned.
He asked for an excavator to be deployed in lower Pomeroon and Baksh informed him that discussions are currently in progress about sending one to help farmers build the river defence dams and empolder farms.