By Nafeeza Yahya Sakur

DAYS after rice and cash crop farmers of Lesbeholden Black Bush Polder (BBP) complained about their farm lands being inundated due to a blocked outfall channel at Adventure, regional authorities have sprung into action to fix the problem.The problem was drawn to the attention of the authorities after the farmers voiced their concerns to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s representative in Berbice, Gobin Harbajan.
The rice farmers had complained bitterly that their crops are about 70 per cent ripe and would be ready soon for harvesting, but they are fearful that unless something is done soon, they would suffer millions in losses due to the excess water in their fields.
They are complaining that the outfall at Adventure is blocked and needs to be de-silted and widened to allow water to flow out towards the sea when the sluice is open.
“As it stands the water in the canal is higher than that at the outfall but when they open the koker door the water barely running out, the whole thing block up,” one farmer said.
The farmers said they voiced complained to the Lesbeholden, Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) a few weeks ago but got no response.
According to Ramran Basdeo, “if they don’t receive any help soon”, several thousand acres of rice will be lost and the farmers are fearful that they will be bankrupt and would not have any capital to restart the next crop nor settle outstanding debts.
“If we lose this crop we gon lose plenty, we really need some assistance if this crop lost, all we money gon go down the drain… that can’t happen, is plenty money we invest and we don’t know what will happen the next crop if this one gone we not gonna get to start the next one,” Basdeo cried.
DISAPPOINTMENT
The farmers expressed disappointment with the Rice Producer Association (RPA). They claimed that the RPA has not come to their rescue.
Harbajan in his meeting with the farmers called on regional engineer Rupesh Persaud who explained that they only learnt of the matter recently but effort is being made to fix the problem.
Persaud had related that a contract to de-silt the canal was awarded to a contractor recently but works have not yet started.
He promised that he will make contact with the contractor and see how best they can expedite the process. Days ago, work commenced to de-silt the canal and the farmers are beginning to breathe a sigh of relief.
Regional Chairman David Armogan had spoken with National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and also urged them to fix the problem urgently.
“Because of the El Nino weather conditions, we have been pumping water to irrigate the lands and ensure the irrigation canals are filled; however, with the recent heavy rainfall the past week, the water on the lands have increased and since the canals are already filled, they don’t have anywhere to run off to. Also the recent high tides don’t allow us much room to open the sluice and drain the water as quickly as we would like,” Armogan had said.