Prime Minister, Mark Phillips on Friday ensured that hundreds of residents affected by floodwaters in Pomeroon
were given food and sanitation hampers.m
Phillips who has responsibility for the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and is the chairman of the National Task
Force on flooding, visited a number of communities to assess the scope of flooding. He presented representatives of
the Nile/Cozier Neighbourhood Democratic Council and Jacklow, 250 hampers each at Charity. The Prime
Minister also held meetings with residents from Karawab, St Monica, Kabakaburi, Abram’s Creek, Marlborough
and Hackney.
Phillips told the residents that while the water that accumulated on the land due to recent rainfall seems to be
receding in other parts of the country, it continues to rise in the Pomeroon. As such, he assured them of short-term
relief.
HIGHER GROUND
The PM said that while Cabinet will consider other forms of intervention such as the dredging of the river, residents
should be prepared to eventually move their homes and farming activities to higher ground. “We know your crops
may be affected, and therefore the issue of food and food security will arise…the reality is that you are blessed here
with higher ground, and we have to consider moving to higher ground,” he noted. PM Phillips appealed to the
residents not to give up on farming despite the challenging circumstances. “The Pomeroon as a farming community
is an important area to Guyana, especially at a time when the government is taking a lead in the region on
agriculture. Your produce is important not only to the country but to the Region also,” he said.
RESTARTING
Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, who accompanied the Phillips, assured that the Government will provide
seedlings and other planting material so that farmers could return to their trade after the water recedes. He added that
the administration is also working on enhancing infrastructure through a block drainage mechanism. Prime Minister
Phillips noted that two excavators have already been procured for the Pomeroon and will be deployed to the riverain
community after the completion of a pontoon that will allow the machines to do their work.
Mustapha who committed the resources of his Ministry, including technical officers to assist farmers, also stressed
the practice of climate-smart agriculture.
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