REGION 6 Chairman David Armogan says legal  action will be taken against eight  farmers in the Kokerite Savannah, who appear to be ignoring  notices requesting them to desist, with immediate effect, from pumping water into the Black Bush  Polder  irrigation system, compromising the dams and endangering growing rice plants.
“And  it is creating  serious  problems for

us  at Black Bush Polder, as well as the front lands. As soon as we get water out of the system, water is pumped back from the Kokerite Savannah into  the system.  We cannot deal with that, as people have replanted   about  four to five weeks  ago  and we cannot allow all that water in the rice field at this time, as it will destroy the growing rice plants,” Armogan told this newspaper.
He said what these farmers are doing is “unlawful” as the irrigation systems are the property of  Guyana’s National Drainage and  Irrigation  Authority.
Meanwhile, over  the past weeks, there  has been flooding in the Black Bush Polder areas of  Yakusari and Johanna,  as the lands are much  lower than that of the other polders –   Mibikuri  and  Lesbeholden.
And compounding this situation is  the fact that the Kokerite  Savannah,  which  normally should  be  used for cattle rearing, has been transformed  into rice cultivation plots, and this matter is now engaging  the attention of the Minister of Agriculture.
Armogan noted  that “persons were  being given leases  for cattle rearing, but eight farmers  are now planting rice, and are pumping the  water from the Kokerite Savannah  into the irrigation system at  Black Bush Polder.”
That irrigation system is already high and it is also  affecting the cash crop farmers  to an extent, as there have been some losses.
However, Armogan noted that    Mibikuri  and  Lesbeholden polders were  under water for a couple of days, but  that has  receded, as the farmlands are much higher.
“Currently, the  outfalls have been cleared, all four sluice  doors   are operable  and   whenever  the tides turn we work the pump. So  we are pushing water out of the system almost on a   twenty-four-hour basis, either by virtue of the natural drainage which is the kokers or by  the pump system.”
Moreover,  while 10,000 to 15,000 acres of rice cultivation are threatened by the rising waters in the two polders, the Regional Chairman noted that over 40,000 acres were replanted  for the current crop, which is expected to be harvested during the first week of July .