I pen this letter to highlight some of the inaccuracies in an article titled “Standing in the mud with a laptop in your hands” by Peeping Tom in the Kaieteur Newspaper dated December 10, 2010. Given the enormous task that was undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in preparation for the rains, it is indeed inaccurate for the Kaieteur News to say that there is “extremely poor drainage” when significant improvements have been made over the last few years to alleviate flooding.
In contrast to what is being claimed by the newspaper, a serious attempt was made to look at the internal drainage system and how it could be enhanced and maintained. With the implementation of the Community Drainage and Irrigation Project (CDIP) now under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) there has been more clarity in the sustainable management of the drainage and irrigation systems in communities since it ensures the upkeep and maintenance of tertiary and community level drainage/irrigation infrastructure. In this way, critical internal canals are now being kept clear in communities so as to allow for the free flow of water when heavy rains fall. There has also been better integration as the NDIA can now coordinate with other agencies especially the local government bodies in dealing with community related problems.
The project has created jobs for the unemployed including youths and has contributed to improvement in the drainage system in fifty four (54) NDCs, four (4) Town Councils and forty six (46) areas. In addition, the CDIP workers have been coordinating its efforts with the NDCs and RDCs. Each group has a foreman along with a regional coordinator which provides supervision. During the MOA’s NDIA 2010 programme, the CDIP project was able to acquire the requisite number of workers to undertake works. Under the project, which currently operates in Regions 1, 2, 3,4,5,6 and 10, approximately 2,862 workers are now employed.
In many vulnerable villages around the country in excess of 16 persons have been employed in each village to do monthly maintenance works. These groups are all equipped with tools and safety gears to execute their work. In the 2010 programme, 2563 cutlasses, 2563 files, 512 rakes, 2694 long boots, 205 shovels, 35 spades, 10 wheel barrows and two (2) chainsaws were acquired. Had the author of Peeping Tom done his research he would have found out this fact. In the preparations for the rains, approximately 910 miles of drains were cleared monthly within various NDC and other residential areas by CDIP workers. The CDIP workers were also actively involved in clearing key drainage canals during the recent UNASUR conference.
Women have been actively involved in daily activities of the CDIP since approximately 600 have been employed under the project with 60% of that number coming from Linden, Region Ten. These groups of workers work all year round and on a monthly basis to ensure that the internal waterways are cleared and maintained. $580M was in fact budgeted this year for the CDIP project.
I would encourage the author of this article to do some research before malevolent publication of such an article since the author seems unaware of the many initiatives undertaken by the government to mitigate weather related events.