Cookrite Savannah flooding being eased through several emergency works

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha following a meeting with several cattle farmers from Black Bush Polder on the Corentyne Coast in Region Six, disclosed that works will soon commence to minimise flooding in the Cookrite Savannah.

Cattle farmers complained about flooding and expressed fears of losing their animals due to flooded pastures in the savannahs, during a meeting on Friday with Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo in Number 63 Village, Corentyne. Mustapha called an emergency meeting with cattle farmers who have herds in the Cookrite Savannahs to discuss emergency works that can be done to bring relief and minimize flooding in the area on Saturday.

It was revealed that faarmers present were invited to make suggestions on how the savannahs could be drained without causing flooding in the farming and housing areas. The minister after consulting with the farmers, engineers from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), and officials from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), said that several controlled drainage structures will soon be strategically installed to drain the lands in the savannahs.

“The mechanism will have to be a controlled system but we cannot allow it to operate on a 24-hour basis. We will put a control drainage structure in the GuySuCo system at Port Mourant, one in the Mibicuri system, one in the Lesbeholden system, and one in Letter Kenny. These are going to be temporary structures. If we are going to have controlled structures set up we have to ensure systems are in place to monitor them so that we don’t put stress on the drainage system because if there is a heavy downpour we’ll have flooding in the housing area and we don’t want that to happen,” Mustapha said.

He noted that following last year’s floods, the NDIA had commenced infrastructural works in the Cookrite Savannahs. “I know we have some work planned for the Cookrite Savannah. We already started some work there. A machine was in there but the rain fell and the area is once again flooded so those works had to be put on hold. As soon as the water drops we will continue those works,” the minister disclosed.

The agriculture minister also spoke about the ongoing conflict between rice and cattle farmers and cautioned the cattle farmers to ensure they put systems in place to keep their cattle out of the farming areas. Mustapha told the gathering that rice farmers were already complaining about cattle being in their fields and destroying their crops.

“Some farmers have already moved their cattle out of the Cookrite Savannahs. Farmers have already been complaining that cattle are eating out the rice and other cash crops. We have to work together. The GLDA has been working with farmers to supply wire and posts to develop fencing for cattle to prevent them from going into people’s farms,” the minister explained.

Mustapha added that engineers from the NDIA along with farmers and representatives from the Water Users’ Association are scheduled to visit the suggested areas over the next three days to conduct an assessment after which works are expected to commence immediately to bring relief to the farmers.