The sluice that was commissioned at Retrieve, Mahaicony, on Monday
Following the inundation of vulnerable communities in the Mahaica/Mahaicony area of Region Five over the years, the Agriculture Ministry has finally commissioned the long-awaited Retrieve sluice and outfall at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.
Farmers of more than 34,000 acres of farmland have suffered immense losses over time, due to the lack of adequate drainage, but all of this is expected to change with the commissioning of this multi-million-dollar sluice. The sluice costs Gy$165,697,985 and the outfall costs Gy$60 million. They were both commissioned on Monday, March 21st.
According to General Manager of the Maha- ica/Mahaicony/Abary Agriculture Develop-ment Authority (MMA/ADA), Aubrey Charles, the managing body of that authority was involved in the consultation process of building the sluice and outfall. Charles said farmers have always had to deal with flooding because the two single-door sluices at both Mahaica and Mahaicony were inadequate, especially when tide was high in both rivers. “Over time, we always had to deploy pumps, because of the critical situation,” he said.
The project began on March 13, 2009 and the outfall, along with the sluice structure, was completed in October of 2010. The channel is 66.5 ft wide on top and ended at the sluice of 77.5 ft top width. It is expected that this size will be able to discharge water quickly off the farmlands.
11,000 acres of rice lands in the Mahaicony/Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS), which were under threat of flooding last week, are now expected to be in a better position. Another 18,000 acres south of the MARDS will also be saved from flooding.
Lionel Wordsworth, CEO of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, in addressing farmers, said that the coast and the same catchment of farmlands are going to benefit immensely with the construction of the parallel drain (outfall). He added that studies conducted in 2008 showed the need for the structure.
The level of the water during the nip tide and normal tide were taken to assess the levels of the water. Traditional structures were built to drain 1.5 inches of water in 24 hours, but the Retrieve sluice will be able to drain 3.5 inches of water in 24 hours. Wordsworth said this was necessary because of the changing weather patterns and level of rainfall and water accumulation.
There were some challenges in fully conducting the feasibility studies, but with assistance from a Suriname-based company and engineers working on the Hope Canal Project, the sluice was finally completed.
Meantime, Regional Chairman of Region Five, Harrinarine Baldeo, expressed pleasure with the investment made in Guyana’s major rice and cattle producing region. He added that the Mahaicony area has been suffering from major floods, but it is good that residents will now be able to have better drainage.
Special guest at the commissioning of the sluice, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar, noted that he was among the group of persons, along with GRDB and GRPA officials, to consult with farmers on how they should go about the construction of the sluice two years ago.
Ramotar said he knew of the struggles of farmers in battling flood waters, and he urged them to take care of the structures. “I don’t understand how, after the flood, people can still dump garbage, especially in a country like ours, which is substantially under sea level. It’s almost criminal … it is doing harm to ourselves,” he admonished.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said this sluice is just another intervention to deal with the eventualities of the changing weather patterns in the face of climate change. He added that, following the flooding in Mahaicony and Mahaica, it was decided to build the Hope Canal and Retrieve Sluice, although there have been major criticisms from a particular group of persons.
Persaud said the major bugbear of agriculture cultivation is the availability of proper drainage. “We have to be constantly alert,” he said, speaking of the construction of the sluice in managing the issue of climate change. This recent flood experienced in March is the highest experienced for this decade, going even higher than in 2005, he said.
The farmers were commended for their cooperation and dedication shown during periods of heavy rainfall and flooding.
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