| Irate residents of West Watooka, Linden, waited in vain for more than four hours yesterday for Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, Lionel Wordsworth, to show up for a meeting with them that was scheduled for 10:00hrs.The meeting was to address the current situation concerning the clearing of stagnant and silted up canals in the community. This led to flooding of farmlands and massive losses to farmers.The disgruntled residents felt that the no-show by Wordsworth without explanation, was an act that was disrespectful to them.“Imagine we out here since morning– hungry and in this hot sun, and this man couldn’t put in an appearance, and not even an apology. Instead, he sends the engineer Raphael Gravesande.”However, the residents made their position very clear- they were not going to allow Pioneer Construction to execute any drainage works in the community.“They could do other infrastructural works like culverts and so, but the canals, we gon deal with them; we been cleaning them a long time now, and we gon continue to clean them, Chairman of the West Watooka Development Group, Karen Wallace,wholesale jerseys, asserted.Gravesande told the residents that he had no problem with the decision they had taken, but that they would have to submit a proposal to the Regional Democratic Council.“We have already done that, and right now, all we are waiting for is the go ahead,” Wallace said.True to their word residents had turned out early Sunday morning and stopped Pioneer Construction workers, who had turned up to start drainage works, from executing any works. The contractor subsequently ordered his equipment be removed from the location.The residents had stated adamantly on Thursday last that they would not allow any mechanical clearing of the canals, because they themselves were prepared to do the job.Region Ten Chairman, Sharma Solomon, along with Member of Parliament, Vanessa Kissoon, and Opposition Leader David Granger, later Sunday morning went into the area where they held an informal interactive session with the residents, and listened to their complaints.Both Solomon and Granger supported the decision taken by the residents, and agreed that they should be given the job to clean the canals if they so desire.MP Kissoon had already made her position clear since Thursday when she endorsed the position taken by the residents. Kissoon had said that the farmers who had incurred losses due to the recent persistent rainfall, should be given the opportunity to earn some money through the clearing of the canals.“What affects yall affects the people of Region Ten, so we will stand behind the people of the community if they want the work- and they should be given the work,” Solomon emphasized.The Regional Chairman said that the most common complaint of the farmers in the area is drainage, and as such they should be given the opportunity to help to rectify the situation.He noted that his main concern was the stagnant canal with the dead fish, which he said residents should not attempt to clear manually, until the water is tested to determine what caused the fish to die.According to Solomon, $20 million was approved to clear canals across Linden, with more than 300 persons likely to benefit.Opposition Leader Granger said that every single year there is recurring flooding in certain areas across the country, and people suffer losses. He pointed to the discrimination, adding that government is not doing enough for some areas, while freely giving equipment to other areas.Granger told the residents that the position of his party is to find out what people need, and to try to find solutions to deal with their problems.“If they treated you the same way they treat rice farmers you would be rich people.“What we are now doing is crisis administration; the regional chairman should not now have to be running around to find solutions.” Grainger added that resources should be provided at the level of the RDC to deal with these eventualities.Karen Wallace, one of the farmers who suffered the greatest loss- actually running into millions, strongly objected to the canals being cleared mechanically. According to her the excavator would only create more problems for the farmers as the access roads to the farms would be further damaged.Another concern which the woman pointed out was the threat to the stability of permanent crops by the maneuverings of the excavator.West Watooka is one of the largest farming communities in Linden. It is home to more than 200 farmers. But these farmers are far from happy with what has been happening as it relates to the timely clearing of the canals.They are faced with constant flooding, resulting in losses, despite the establishment of the canals which was a project financed by the Linden Economic Advancement Fund, to help boost agricultural development in the community, through drainage and irrigation. (Enid Joaquin) |
