THE Ministry of Agriculture(MOA) has noted the Kaieteur News mentioning that its equipment was used to demolish sections of a building in its article titled: “Republic Park ‘castle’ mysteriously demolished”, dated March 27, 2011. The ministry wishes to make it clear that the machine was used to clear the Nandy Park, Middle Walk Canal, which is part of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority’s (NDIA) work programme to improve drainage on the East Bank of Demerara by rehabilitating and resuscitating key drainage canals to ensure the free flow of water.
The ministry wishes to make clear that, at no time did any equipment demolish sections of any establishment, as is being claimed by this newspaper.
In addition, the Eccles/Ramsburg NDC overseer, Mr. David Sugrim was present when an encumbrance (an illegal structure) on the drainage reserve had to be cleared by the MOA’s NDIA equipment to necessitate clearing of the canal.
The NDC and residents have attested to the fact that no building establishment was broken by the machine owned by the MOA, NDIA. At no time, persons from the Ministry of Agriculture’s NDIA or its equipment were involved in the breaking of any building. 
What is quite evident is that an encumbrance (an illegal structure) was removed from a drainage reserve to allow  the traversing of equipment to facilitate the drainage works to be carried out effectively.
In fact, the Drainage and Irrigation Act, No.10 of 2004 provides for the removal of such encumbrances since the building of the illegal structure was in direct contravention of Section 61 (d) which states “Any person who – (d) unlawfully abstracts any water from any work or unlawfully obstructs or otherwise interferes with the flow of any water within the drainage and irrigation system maintained by the Authority shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of twenty-five thousand dollars and to imprisonment for three months”.
The key words being “unlawfully obstructs” which include a person building an illegal structure on a drainage reserve and impeding drainage works.
In addition, Section 26(1) of the same act states that “all lands within twelve feet of the toe of any dam or within a like distance of any part of any work (be it a reservoir, canal, drain, culvert, koker, walls of an outfall channel, aqueduct, weir, dam, siphon, stop off, paal off, fence, gate, barrier, bridge or road), …….shall be the property of the Authority”. This exemplifies the illegality of the structure that was on the drainage reserve that was subsequently removed to facilitate the free flow of water.
The MOA’s NDIA will continue to work with all stakeholders in carrying out its mandate to improve drainage and irrigation services countrywide.