Is the record really being set straight?

Kaieteur News Letter to the Editor, Friday 03 January 2009

http://www.kaieteurnews.com/2009/01/01/is-the-record-really-being-set-straig
ht/

Is the record really being set straight?
January 1, 2009 | By knews

Dear Editor,
I would like to respond to a reply published in the Kaieteur News edition of
29th December 2008, in which the writer - Tiana Khan, Corporate Secretary -
makes certain assertions. [A similar letter appeared in the Guyana Chronicle
with an added paragraph].
Even though Ms. Khan is writing from the privileged position of being
ensconced behind a desk, I have to reply to the points raised.
I assure you that other Victorians - who have signed a hard copy of this
response, further reinforce that what I am saying here represents the facts
as known by many others beside myself.
Firstly, I have to refer to a letter written by a Mr. Ali (hope the spelling
is correct), a retired Chief Hydraulics Engineer for the Ministry of Works
and Hydraulics, who stated in a letter published in SN, that the rainfall of
the 1960s and 1970s was more than we currently receive. I believe this to be
true, having lived through that period. Therefore I refuse to buy into
everything being blamed on "unprecedented weather patterns" due to "Global
Warming"; at least not our problems here in Victoria (and maybe even
Guyana).
Secondly, the assertion that I interacted with the NDIA personnel means that
my statements smack of "a deliberate attempt to mislead the public" is a
gross leap. I have been traveling almost daily along the embankment road
that runs from Kitty to Enmore. Anyone traveling this way will observe the
following: 'There is fresh mud that was excavated within the last week
lining the road from just after Mon Repos until Annandale. An excavator
cleaned drains on opposite sides of this roadway, to ensure that the excess
water on the land speedily found its way into the drainage canals. The work
stopped at the eastern end of Annandale at which point, the dividing dam
with Buxton was crowned with fresh mud, thus raising the dam above the water
level'. I believe it is to stop Buxton's water from going into Annandale.
The villages between Annandale and Enmore are all flooded. The eastern dam
between Dazzell Housing Scheme and Enmore has also been freshly crowned
above the water level - again I believe it is to stop the water going into
Enmore. GuySuCo has employed every available pump to remove the water from
the land in Enmore. Even the pumps used in the fields were working to push
the water into the drainage canals. Once again, as one leaves Enmore, all
the villages from Haslington until Victoria are flooded. We saw great
efforts made to rehabilitate the Nootenzuil and Hope kokers, so that that
area is water-free; however, Dochfour and Ann's Grove are all flooded. These
are facts which are verifiable.
The additional paragraph in the Chronicle states that I tampered with NDIA
installations causing flooding; since this is a criminal activity, why was I
not prosecuted?
Desmond Saul