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Region Five Chairman Ricardo Phillips said the government is working to address heavy siltation in the Abary channel, as concerns mount ahead of the rainy season.
Phillips made the assurance at a recent Regional Democratic Council (RDC) meeting, where APNU Councillor Emerson Benjamin warned that the channel is heavily clogged with mud, disrupting fishermen, vendors and others connected to the fishing industry.
“NDIA has a pontoon there with two excavators, but to me it is not doing anything. We need a dredge. Excavators will not do the work. It is a problem that will escalate as the rainy season approaches,” Benjamin said.
He added that Abary Creek is the main drainage channel for backlands in parts of Mahaicony and Abary, warning that failure to clear it could lead to serious problems for rice farmers, cattle farmers and residents.
In response, Phillips said the matter is being treated as a priority. He noted that a technical team from the Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), has already visited the site, with further assessments ongoing.
Phillips added that NDIA Chairman Lionel Wordsworth has also inspected the area and that a technical review is under way to determine solutions.
He attributed the problem to heavy siltation from backland areas along the Abary rice fields, which has accumulated at the channel’s mouth. The government, he said, is working through the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure a timely resolution.
Phillips confirmed that efforts to address the issue are ongoing.
