| By Leonard GildarieHarsh weather conditions have a possible dengue threat with the influx of mosquitoes.Yesterday, residents of Moruca and Kumaka also said that El Nino conditions have affected creeks and traditional drinking water ponds to the extent that logging and mining are affected with operators being forced to cease work.In the case of logging, the waterways are being used to transport the logs and these have fallen to critical levels that is now proving difficult for vessels. wreaked havoc in the Region One and with sources of drinking water literally drying up, Government is rushing down a special team today in an attempt to come up with solutions.Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, and other agricultural officials inspect an affected cassava farm in Region One yesterday.Not only are the 15,000-plus residents walking miles, in some cases for drinking water, but crops are under severe threat and there are now worries of a possible food shortage in the area.Yesterday,cheap nfl jerseys sale, a technical team from the Ministry of Agriculture along with regional officials of the Barima/Waini area heard that residents are now facingThere is also not enough water to conduct alluvial mining operations many miners have simply curtailed their work in the hope that rains come soon.At the meeting in Moruca, the despondent faces of the resident told the story all too clearly. According to Mavis Edwards, of Seven Miles Branch Road, Karaburi,wholesale jerseys, an outlying village,Authentic Jerseys Cheap, she has to walk almost a mile every day to reach the creek for water as her pond has dried up.Her children, who have to paddle five miles to school every day,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, have been forced to attend school for only two days. Water shortage at the community school in her area has placed a feeding programme in jeopardy.According to Edwards, her children are suffering from diarrhoea because of the quality of drinking water.Accompanying Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, to Region One yesterday were Deputy Permanent Secretary of Administration, George Jervis; Director of National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Dr. Oudho Homenauth; and regional officials.According to Dr Homenauth,Wholesale Jerseys, in collaboration with the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, passion fruit plants seedlings, cassava sticks and other assistance are being given to the region. The official pointed out that it is part of Government’s strategy to not only tackle the current situation but also to plan for the future,Residents complained of non-functioning wells and pumps; they spoke of crops such as bora and cassava struggling since irrigation water sources are dry or are too far away to be feasible.Acoushi ants infestations and a disease attacking plantains and banana have also posed another serious challenge.At the Moruca Hostel and Hospital, there is barely enough water to cover operations.Minister Persaud said that a team of officials from the Ministry of Housing and Water will be rushing to the area in an effort to address the drinking water problem.He ordered the regional officials to utilize tractors there and promised tanks and pumps for the area within days.The Minister acknowledged the problem of food supplies in the area and noted that it would cost more than half of a million dollars in cash to hire a plane to take food there. The food shortage possibility is one that would be worrying Government.The issue of storing food was being addressed by agricultural officials.Trucks are charging almost $300,000 to take supplies into the area-this does not include the cost of the supplies.Two mechanical cassava mills and graters, to the tune of over $1M was handed over to the region along with an excavator worth $14M to conduct emergency works.The Minister also urged the residents to start planning to diversify to other crops including spices like turmeric, black pepper and nutmeg which are more resilient to the severe weather conditions.According to Persaud, with 15 tonnes of turmeric being imported annually,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, there is a market for this spice.At Kumaka Landing, the story was the same. While there is limited water being pumped daily, there hilly terrain and low pressure have resulted in many resident not getting water for irrigation and drinking. Wells are not working and the Minister, following complaints of the residents, warned regional and government officials to ensure that they carry out their functions.Residents called for help in planting materials like yam and ginger and were advised to examine the possibility of long term crops like citrus, coconut and avocado. |
