Farmers concerned by flooding in Poodai Lagoon

PENAL/Debe Regional Corporation chairman Dr Allen Sammy on Sunday reiterated his call for a comprehensive approach to dealing with flooding in the area. He made this call as he spoke about more flooding taking place in Poodai Lagoon, regarding as an agricultural area in Penal/Debe.

Sammy said two weeks ago there was flooding in the area. “It’s there again where water accumulated, it never really gone down.” He added, “ It was saturated. We’ve had rain every third day, every fourth day. It’s not been allowed to dry out.”

While no people or properties were affected by the flooding, Sammy said it was affecting people’s livelihoods.

“It has affected negatively the crops people plant, particularly watermelon and short crops.”

Saying the lagoon was one of the area's food baskets, Sammy said, “It’s important to us agriculturally. When people are impacted there it means the supply of food is impacted.” While the area falls under the Agriculture Ministry and not under the corporation, Sammy said efforts by both entities to mitigate the flooding have not been successful.

He explained those efforts involved clearing of channels in the immediate area of the flooding. Sammy suggested a more thorough look at drainage in the South Oropouche Basin, of which Poodai Lagoon is a part, is needed.

Quinam/Morne Diablo councillor Diptee Ramnath, in whose electoral district the lagoon is located, agreed with Sammy. He said the flooding was affecting 60 acres of agricultural land and 100 farmers could be affected.