Persistent heavy rainfall between Monday night and Tuesday battered the Essequibo Coast, resulting in several acres of farmlands in the Upper and Lower Pomeroon River being inundated.
Farmers living in the Lower Pomeroon areas of Try Best, Friendship, Hope Canal, Unity, Dredge Creek, Strong Hope, Kabakaburi and Siriki are adversely affected by the continuous rainfall.
One Try Best watermelon farmer said he lost his entire crop due to the flooding. He was expecting to harvest his crop within a week; however, all the melons are water-soaked and will eventually rot.
Another farmer, Narada Persaud from Hope Canal, Lower Pomeroon, said his five acres of pumpkins he was expecting to reap within a week has been destroyed.
He estimated his losses in the thousands. Another farmer, Parsram Persaud, known as “Indal”, said his farm of some 500 avocado plants and several acres of cassava have been destroyed. The farmer was also affected a few weeks ago when a breach in the conservancy dam occurred.
Farmers are of the view that the flooding is compounded by the water being released from the Tapakuma Lake through the Dawa Pump Station, into the Pomeroon River.
However, Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud said the pump station was never opened to release water into the Pomeroon River.
He was supported by Region Two Vice Chairman Vishnu Samaroo, who explained that the water overtopped the lake, “ran over” the conservancy dam and into the Pomeroon River.
Farmers at Grant and Try Best are calling for the Cozier sluice channel to be desilted in an effort to help discharge more water from the Pomeroon River into the Atlantic Ocean.
They are also calling for the pump at Cozier to be operable so as to assist in drainage. A high-level government team headed by Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud recently visited the Lower Pomeroon River and spoke to several flood affected farmers.
The team included Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) General Manager Jagnarine Singh, Regional Agriculture Officer Khemraj Khanhai, Engineer Jefaun Permansingh and Regional Democratic Council (RDC) councillor Vilma Da Silva.
