Residents and farmers on the whole have become disillusioned with the regional administration of Region Two, for as they put it, a demonstrated failure to be a militant organisation to protect their interests.
The flooding of 200 acres of rice in the Airy Hall area by intermittent heavy rainfall which caused a breach of the Conservancy Dam was due to no maintenance and no proper monitoring on the part of the drainage and irrigation rangers.
I would hasten to add that if the regional administration is to succeed in holding on to what little they have, it is clear that they must improve the performances of the drainage and irrigation sector. In this regard they will need a combination of several factors.
The government will need skilled managers and dedicated workers. This is the administration we have had for the past 21 years. They can achieve success only if they seek to understand the nature of national development and accept individual and collective responsibility for the work to be done.
At present, the rice farmers can hardly escape the vagaries of the regional administration, in which there is no proper management. There is therefore need for intelligent and skilful policies to be implemented to facilitate the transition and restructuring process for the drainage and irrigation department.
With breaches and flooding out of farmers’ crops, coupled with no maintenance of the Conservancy Dam and canal from Supenaam to Charity, it has never been more crucial for Essequibo farmers. They can no longer rely on the administration to help them decide when to sow or harvest.
Rice farmers have argued, at several Rice Producers Association (RPA) forums and at different times, that economic and social progress is not sustainable, or even possible, without proper management in the region. Indications are that the economy will slow down as a result of these floodings.
We are already faced with price drops and revenue short falls due to man-made disasters in our region, emanating from flood conditions. The question is what the regional administration will do in dealing on a long-term basis with these regular flooding.
This trend, which was non-uniform, has had more consequences for small rice farmers in the Airy Hall rice growing areas than others. It is clear what is responsible for the conservancy breach and there should be no excuses by the regional administration.
It was reported a long time that there was overtopping of the main canal by the rice farmers without rainfall, but no one ever visited the area.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan