Minister Indar addresses flooding in Esau and Jacob

Farmers along the Mahaicony Branch Road aback Esau and Jacob Village, Region Five, can expect some relief from the recent floods in their community.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Hon. Deodat Indar visited the area for a second consecutive day on Friday to determine what interventions can be made to address the situation there.

Speaking with DPI after a preliminary assessment the Minister said, “when they were building the road over the past five years, they put some tubing here and the tubing are causing this conservancy to go into the farmlands.”

He said the tubing needs to be compacted to prevent inundation of the farmlands from the nearby Mahaicony creek.

A contractor working in the area will execute the emergency works. This would complement the efforts farmers have made to block the tubing with mud from the creek bed.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Hon. Deodat Indar and farmers inspect one of the blocked tubing along Mahaicony Branch Road.

While on the ground, Minister Indar contacted engineers from the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority to begin other critical works to provide relief to the farmers.

“They are going to put the excavators to try and build more impolder so, as the water level comes up, it doesn’t overtop and go into people property and destroy their crops more than how it has already been destroyed.”

When Minister Indar visited the community Thursday, he liaised with Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha to dispatch two excavators to the community to prevent farmlands from further flooding.

Water being pumped off farmlands in Esau and Jacob

He also distributed 400 food hampers and cleaning supplies to residents of Moraikobai and communities along the Mahaica River, affected by the floods.

The Minister also briefed residents of Esau and Jacob on the ongoing rehabilitation of the Mahaicony Branch Road through an existing $112 million contract.