BECAUSE of the current rainy season, the Agriculture Ministry has deployed engineers in all the regions to work with the local authorities to ensure that the livelihoods of residents, their livestock and crops are not jeopardised by the weather. Moreover, teams have been organised to continuously clear outfalls (drainage systems), and to ensure that main waterways do not overflow, especially during the rainy seasons in Guyana.

Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy made this disclosure during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.
“We have to deal with water flowing out of the rivers and oceans; and what happens is that the outfalls — whether we are dealing with the rivers or we are dealing with the ocean — if the outfalls are silted up, it impedes the flow of water from the land. And therefore we have to keep these outfalls clear at all times, particularity in the wet season.” He explained.

While many persons are of the view that outfalls were not cleared before the commencement of the rainy season, Minister Ramsammy clarified that this is not so. He noted that clearing is something that should be done at every chance there is.

“Some people say to me, ‘if you know that May/June/July will be wet, why in March and April you don’t clear the outfalls? Unfortunately, I’m reporting to you that we did clear all the outfalls in March and April, but clearing the outfalls is a continuous job, because the sedimentation recurs as soon as you complete the clearing.”

Minister Ramsammy said it is
his hope that the ministry would be able to reach that stage where it could have all the equipment necessary to do the clearing operation on a permanent basis, rather than having to transport back and forth.

The minister explained that plans are already in place to transport excavators into rivers by means of pontoons, to commence clearing the outfalls in Regions 2, 3 and 4.

Minister Ramsammy said this is the first time ever that such a step has been taken to dedicate pontoons with excavators in those regions.

“For the first time in this May/June/July period, we will have pontoons and equipment in these regions. We also have been cleaning the outfalls at #43 and Adventure. We have also done works in the mouths of the rivers at Mahaica, Mahaciony and Abary.”

Minister Ramsammy assured that all the main canals in all the regions are clean; and collaborative works are being carried out with the local authorities to ensure that secondary canals and internal drains are kept clean.
In addition, he said that there are more than 50 working, fixed-site pumps operating in the various regions.

He said fixed-site pumps would be installed; however, at this time, all the present pumps are operational, and these are at places such as Windsor Forest, WCD; Liliendaal, ECD; Kitty; Montrose; Triumph; Victoria; Green Field;, Number 43; Adventure;  Ankerville, Port Mourant; and at Albion.

According to Dr. Ramsammy, approximately 20 mobile pumps are located in several areas across the different regions. These are used in times of emergency.

“We move them from side to side wherever emergency exists. For example, Monday and Tuesday; this last Tuesday we had to move five mobile pumps into Leonora and Central Corentyne areas, but these are some of the things we are doing now in order to be better prepared for a wet season, as we are going to have now.”