Black Bush Polder a ‘serious concern’ as communities still flooded

Though measures are in place to mitigate the intense flood situation at Black Bush Polder, Region Six (Corentyne-Berbice), the persistent rainfall is proving to be a challenge.

“The water is still high. Although the sluice and the pumps are working, the water is still building up because of the rain,” Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, told the News Room on Tuesday.

“You got water receding and soon as that happens, the rainfall and situation is bad again. You had heavy rainfall over the last 42-hours and then this morning so the water is building up there. The rain is not giving us any chance,” the Agriculture Minister noted.

Minister Mustapha relayed to the News Room that the ministry has “their work cut out for them”, however, efforts are still ongoing to bring relief to the residents there.

Residents of the predominantly farming area had resorted to burning tyres in frustration at the situation. Farmers were unable to estimate losses; those are said to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars as crops and livestock were damaged significantly due to high water levels.

Home appliances were also damaged. Areas within all of the polders were affected, however, Yakusari, Johanna and Mibicuri were the hard-hit areas.

The minister explained too that works are ongoing in the polders to raise the embankments; this is to prevent water from getting to the housing schemes from Whim to Lesbeholden.

Excavators are conducting works from the No. 52 Village, Corentyne to the Whim area to ensure that floodwaters do not escape to the savannahs.

“There is so much going on in the savannahs, we are trying to get the livestock out, especially the cattle…but the dams are underwater so that is hard. Black Bush is of serious concern to us.”

Further, the minister relayed that the Albion, Corentyne area in Region Six is also affected.

Along with Region Six, communities in Regions One, Two, Three, Seven, Nine, and Ten have been underwater due to heavy rainfall over the past few weeks.  The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has been assessing floods across the country and rendering assistance.