–    …farmers plagued by a plethora of emotions as they face losses
FARMERS in the Mahaica Creek area have been a bundle of nerves since the announcement that the excess water in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) would be drained via the Lama and Maduni sluices into the Mahaica Creek. Up to 10:00hrs on Tuesday, the Mahaica Creek measured a level of just below 52 Georgetown Datum (GD) and yesterday morning at approximately 08:30hours there was an increase of about an inch.

Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Mr. Walter Willis, has said that the decision to bring the water in the EDWC to a safe level by releasing water into the Mahaica Creek is a regrettable one, but a necessary last resort.
The NDIA Chairman explained that an inch of rainfall translates to a 1.5 inch increase in the conservancy after 24hours, since water from the catchment areas surrounding the EDWC bring down additional waters.

According to Willis, all precautions are being taken to ensure that the discharge of water does not acutely aggravate an already rising Mahaica Creek, due to the historic level of rainfall along the coast and in the upper reaches that flow into the various creeks and rivers.
However, the 100 plus farmers in the Mahaica Creek are not optimistic about the move.

Several farmers who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle yesterday pointed out that even with an additional month of rain, some of the crops would have been saved, but the increase in the levels of the Mahaica Creek has already seen seepages into the surrounding areas.

The water is slowly creeping into  residential and farm lands, and farmers contend that this is the first indication of what is to come, and the pressing fear is a repeat of the devastation seen in 2005.

A common estimation made by farmers is that in another two days, coupled with rains, the water levels are expected to completely cover cash crops, in particular leafy vegetables and vine crops.
Some of these crops are already covered, but thankfully there was a break in the weather yesterday and farmers are hoping- as that is the most they can do right now- that the improvement in the weather holds up.

A farmer for several years, Mr. Roopnarine Maniram expressed dissatisfaction at the move to “loose the locks” (open the Lama and Maduni sluices), but acknowledged that the devastation would be greater should the EDWC overflow, because of the higher population density on the East Coast of Demerara.
“I have an acre and a half of garden for cash crops and 35 acres rice and in another two days everything will duck,” he said.
Maniram pointed out that residents in the Mahaica Creek area depend heavily on the income from farming activities, all of which could be lost.
“Last crop we tek serious blows with the weather and the fertilizer cost and so that went up. Now this crop we in trouble again…this is starvation like, and I got three children to send to school,” he said.
He acknowledged that no complete payouts in terms of compensation can be made, but suggested that any assistance given to farmers should address their needs in a tangible way.

Another farmer, Mr. Hanceraj Maniram, said tangible support could include quality planting materials.
He pointed out that the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) had distributed tomato seeds which, when planted, resembled a plum, and did not have much value on the markets.
Maniram acknowledged that monetary compensation will not be possible since one bed of crops is worth some $500,000.
“We are labourers and the work we do is not easy and when we end up in this situation we suffer big,” he said.

One of the more touching cases was losses suffered by an elderly farmer, Ms. Hookadebie Chaiku, who explained that her crops are all gone now, with the rains and the water from the Mahaica River.
“I got 800 roots bora and about 500 ochro, plus I got 28 head sheep…up to yesterday I had to bury three small kiddies,” she said.

Mr. Ramkumar Mangru told the Guyana Chronicle that having the “locks blown” will aggravate an already difficult situation.
He explained that once open, even in the “controlled release” that Mr. Willis suggested, closing the door will be a problem.
According to him, the pressure from the water will not allow the sluice doors to close easily until the pressure from the EDWC has been relieved.
“We looking at big losses, but we cannot do anything but wait and see,” he said.

Cash crop farmer, Mr. Mohanlall Sukhram, known as ‘Teach’, told the Guyana Chronicle that in 2005 the entire area was covered, leaving at good times only the middle of the road visible.
“We don’t want another 2005, but if the water overtop we are in more trouble because it already seeping in,” he said.
The farmer added that the heavy rains have already largely devastated his crops, since they are already under water and will be completely lost if the water level on the crop lands increase.
“Life in Mahaica Creek is very nice, but it is only the few challenges like the flooding that puts us at a disadvantage,” Sukhram said.

The Mahaica Creek farmers are not optimistic for the future and right now are going with the flow of things, hoping for better.