CHAIRMAN of Region Two, Mr. Devanand Ramdatt has said that not having a budget at hand has created several problems in the operation of the Regional Administration.Mr. Ramdatt, who was recently elected Chairman, said in an interview that one of the many challenges he faces is the inordinate number of machines that are out of operation for want of repairs

and servicing. Another is the need of adequate funds so as to have fuel readily available for mobile pumps and machinery.
But, the lack of a budget notwithstanding, Ramdatt said the challenges faced by the Administration in terms of reducing the level of accumulated rainwater in canals, trenches and drains, especially in residential and cultivated areas, are not left undone.
The Chairman said the Administration has started to clear some trenches that were clogged up with weed, such as the one parallel to the Anna Regina market road, was done just Wednesday last.
Newly elected Vice-Chairlady, Ms. Juliet Coonjah said she has already visited more than 60 % of the drainage and irrigation structures across the Essequibo Coast.
She said the Administration is effectively addressing issues affecting both farmers and residents, and that the situation with the operation of sluices is a very critical one because of the blockage of most of the channels with sling mud caused by constant accretion that is taking place on the foreshore of the Atlantic Ocean.
Ms. Coonjah said the Administration right now is short of human resources as well as machinery. Most of the machines are down, she said, for want of maintenance. She said the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority [NDIA] has helped out with the drainage of excess rainwater from off the land in the Region during the recent heavy rainfall period.
The Vice-Chairlady said some sluices are operating along with mobile pumps and there is adequate drainage across the Region. (Rajendra Prabhulall)