— more pumps installed in flood-affected areas in Region Six

A PROMISE to deliver feed and grass to cattle stranded in Cookrite Savannah was fulfilled on Sunday, following a visit by President, Dr Irfaan Ali to Black Bush Polder, Region Six, the day before. On Sunday, a team from the Guyana Livestock and Development Association (GLDA) and farmers went to the area via boat with bags of feed and grass for the animals. Some 160 bags of feed and one truck load of grass were delivered on Sunday. The same amount of feed and grass will be delivered today Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said that, in addition to the feed, the focus is to transport the calves out of the flooded Savannah. He also committed to the continued support for farmers.

“GLDA was instructed to bring up feed and grass. This morning the feed arrived and is at the Cattle Dam by the bridge. A number of farmers are benefitting from that intervention. Three boats are at the back there. The cattle will be coming out on the high dam in the evening to use the feed.  They will also be transporting the calves out of heavily-flooded area. Those instructions that were given by the President we have started it today. We can’t get all the animals out at the same time, remember they are wild animals also. We will continue to assist the farmers. We will give them the kind of support they need in terms of giving the cattle and small ruminants medication,” he said.

On Sunday, the minister, for the third day, continued flood assessment outreach to affected communities in Region Six. A team from the region including Chairman, David Armogan; Vice-Chairman, Zamal Hussain; and Regional Executive Officer, Narendra Persaud and representatives from agencies within the Agriculture Minsitry accompanied the minister to hear, first-hand, the issues facing the residents. At the meetings in Bangladesh, Whim/Bloomfield, Number 53 Village, Number 52/74 NDC area and Number 73 Village, Minister Mustapha said new pumps will be sent to these areas and with the placement of bigger tubes, persons’ drainage will greatly improve.

PUMPS INSTALLED

“In Port Mourant, I made a commitment to provide pumps and today it was installed. Yesterday in the Number 19 area, residents asked for pumps and another pump was placed in the Roy Honoman area. We have additional pumps placed at Letter Kenny Sluice. We will have additional pumps placed at Number 52 Sluice. At Number 53, another pump will be placed there and excavation work will be done to divert water to the facade. All those measures in place will help to alleviate the problems people are faced within,” the Agriculture Minister said.

Additionally, the minister noted that the Regional Democratic Council is compiling a list of the number of households in some of the NDCs so that the Civil Defence Commission can provide hampers and cleaning aid.

Moments after arriving in Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder (BBP) on Saturday, President Ali assured residents that his focus is on immediate interventions which will save lives and ensure residents have shelter and their livelihoods are secure.
The Head of State’s visit followed a fly-over of the entire flood-affected Region Six community and a visit to Kwakwani in Region 10 which is under water as a result of recent heavy rainfall.
President Ali told the residents that these interventions are the same for all the flood-affected areas in the country.
“Our immediate response now is to secure lives, secure livelihoods to ensure people have food, ensure people have shelter and to ensure that health facilities respond to any disease you may have because of the flooding,” he said.
One of the immediate interventions made by the president for BPP was for 100 bags of feed to be taken into the backlands for the hundreds of animals that are affected by the flooding.

NO-NONSENSE MOOD
President Ali, who was in a no-nonsense mood when he landed at Port Mourant, charged officials of the GLDA to find an immediate intervention to save the lives of the affected cattle.
Several hundred heads of cattle are stuck on a dam in the BBP backlands while a large number had already died.
“The animals are stuck in the middle of nowhere. I need a plan before I leave here and I am speaking about all the animals, not just those in Kookrite Savannah. We flew over and we flew low so I can tell you they are stuck and have nothing,” he added.

Another immediate intervention identified by President Ali was the cleaning of internal drains. Residents had complained about the drains not being cleaned and as such a contractor who was recently awarded a contract to do this work will be mobilised to start the cleaning from Sunday.
Further, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Director, Frederick Flatts, stated that the mobile pump which was recently installed at Adventure had experienced some mechanical issues but these have been fixed. A second pump will be installed there to help drain the water at a faster rate into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Ministry of Agriculture and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) have several teams on the ground to conduct countrywide assessments so that recommendations can be made for long-term interventions, and other interventions, as they relate to the livelihoods that are being affected by the flooding.