– farmers rejoice as excavators ensure flood-free lands

IN light of the fact that the Pomeroon was previously perceived as a region prone to flooding due to land drainage into the Atlantic Ocean, Regional Chairman Vilma DeSilva has stated that the measures implemented by President Ali and his government, including the deployment of two excavations, have effectively mitigated the issue of flooding, particularly in agricultural areas.

During her recent visit to the Pomeroon River, the regional chairman expressed great satisfaction at the residents’ ability to resume agricultural activities on their farmlands without the threat of flooding.

According to her, “I am pleased to say that this is the first time in the history of Pomeroon that an initiative such as this one has been done for the Pomeroon people, and we are thankful for President Ali and his government…We were given these excavators by the government to facilitate drainage on the farms and persons’ lands. I am happy to say that this initiative has made a tremendous impact on the residents and the development of their land.”

DeSilva further explained: “What we did was open up the drainage canals that lead to the savannahs so that they could help drain some of the excess water into the river. With this action, we do not have a backlog of backlog water in the savannahs anymore, and with the intervention of the dredging of the mouth of the Pomeroon River that has started, we have brought significant relief to the residents, especially the farmers.”

On a visit to Pomeroon last year, the regional chairman revealed that President Ali has pledged to provide two extra excavators to the residents. This decision came after acknowledging the significant involvement of over 1,800 farmers in the agriculture industry.

“When the president visited last year, he saw the volume of work and the number of farmers we have in Pomeroon—over 1,800 farmers that have their own lands. President Ali offered to give free drainage to the residents with the two machines that he gave, but he also recognised that everyone wants the drainage work now, so he intervened by doing the bed and drain project for the farmers who own like five acres and below. Those works were contracted to six different private operators, and that is additional to the work that the two fixed excavators are conducting in the river.”

DeSilva’s findings indicate that more than 545 farmers have been able to benefit from the additional assistance provided by the two extra excavators. In addition, she clarified that work is still in progress; nevertheless, she expressed her delight in reporting the complete drainage of over 130 farmlands, making them primed for planting. Furthermore, she emphasised that the initiative has not only greatly enhanced the drainage system for local residents and farmers, but it has also served as a source of motivation for farmers who had previously abandoned their land due to insufficient drainage to resume cultivation.

“While these farmers are grateful for all that is happening to them by President Ali and his team, I would also like to add that His Excellency has made a commitment to have two additional excavators for the Pomeroon, so we will have a total of four excavators that will remain in the Pomeroon to facilitate ongoing drainage, which is huge for the residents and the farmers,” DeSilva stated.

Meanwhile, the regional chairman stated that although the farmers appreciate the “significant help” provided by the government, she also remarked that “these farmers are very thankful to President Ali for all the help that they have been given and for the revetment, that is, these lands are not like the coastlands…everyone is on their individual farms, so what the government has also done is to assist at least 50 vulnerable farmers who cannot afford to fix their kokers.”

The Pomeroon River’s sanitation has been acknowledged by the regional chairman, who praised Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha for considering it as one of the designated areas in Guyana eligible for fiber machines.

“On the coastland, the roadways are used for travelling from one place to another, so likewise, the waterways are the roads for the residents of the Pomeroon River or for people travelling in and out of the river, and it can get dangerous for water users. I want to commend Minister Mustapha for considering Pomeroon as one of the places that deserves a few fibre machines.

Coconut production is huge here, but I am pleading with the residents to refrain from throwing the husk into the river. When the fibre machines are here, the husk will process and be used for mulching the plants, so please do not litter the waterways; we will dispose of it in the proper manner,” DeSilva pleaded.