Members of the Ithaca Cooperative Society of Ithaca West Bank Berbice on Tuesday mobilised to thwart an attempt to endanger their crops and livestock.
Representatives of the Cooperative during a tense standoff confronted a Hymac Operator who had blocked the main drainage channel for their farmlands and got him to unblock that channel.
The unblocking of the channel subsequently released flood waters which had been building up on cultivated areas over the past four days.
Secretary of the Cooperative Mr. Cromwell Williams said that that particular channel drains over nine hundred acres of cultivable lands owned by the Cooperative and to block this channel could only be regarded as an act of mischief and /or sabotage
Williams disclosed that members became aware of the plan to block the main drainage channel for their farmlands four days ago.
“We learnt that the people concerned wanted to build an alternative drainage channel further south of this channel. and we said we had no problem with that but build that channel first and then you can block this one up.”
He said that the persons behind the blockage claimed they had political backing and had no need to accept the advice of the members of the Cooperative and they proceeded to block the channel.
He said that members began to get disturbed after the flood waters coming from the back dam began to back up on areas being farmed by members of the Cooperative.
“The crops including fruit trees, plaintain trees and other crops such as cassava were being flooded out and causing farmers to fear losses. Some farmers have actually suffered losses already. So the members decided that we had to unblock the channel to save our crops.”
The standoff in the backlands earlier today came about when the members approached the persons who had blocked the channel and told them that the blockage had to be cleared.
The members then proceeded to use shovels to create a pathway for the water to flow.
The persons who had created the blockage objected and there was near confrontation with the men armed with cutlasses and forks and shovels.
The Supervisor of the Hymac operator then agreed that the problem could have been resolved with the placement of a tube to allow the water from the backlands to continue to flow rather than a total blockage.
He instructed the operator to use the Hymac to clear the blockage.
This decision helped to ease a building tension among the members of the Coop and those involved in the blockage.
In the end the Hymac Operator cleared the blockage and subsequently removed his machine from the disputed area.
Another Hymac in the area working it was said on the alternative channel was also removed.
Williams said that he was happy that the blockage had been cleared.
“We feel that good sense prevailed because members of the Coop would not have stood idly by and watch their crops destroyed by lack of drainage created by some persons with their own selfish agendas.”
He reiterated: “The people concerned said that they have an alternative drainage system and again I say we the members of the Coop have no problem with that. But do that first . establish that alternative drainage system and then you can block off this point.
“Until then, this channel has to remain open and the water has to flow before there is more destruction of the crops in the backlands.”
Village Voice was told that the drain had been blocked by persons with in the village who claimed that they were being affected by this drainage channel in their residential areas, a claim that was debunked by Williams.
“This drainage channel passes nowhere near residential areas. People who claim that they are politically connected to the Government have their own agenda. But this is the Coop land; we are the major stake-holders and our cooperation should be sought in any project which can have a negative impact on our crops and livestock.”
The actions of the contractor after the standoff clearly indicated that he was no longer interested in continuing the project since he had moved his machines clear of the village after the near violent standoff ended.
The Ithaca project was made possible with the reintroduction of sweet water into the backlands under the Rural Agricultural Infrastructure Development RAID project funded by the Caribbean Development Bank and handed over to the members of the Ithaca Coop last year.
Prior to that these lands were usually inundated with salt water and had not been cultivable for decades.
