The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) wishes to Respond to the article published in the Guyana Times newspapers dated August 4, 2016 titled: GuySuCo threatens to cut water supply to 700 Crabwood Creek Farmers’.
In 2012, the Skeldon Estate management granted permission to the Crabwood Creek Water Users’ Association to install High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes beneath the link canal which supply the farmers with irrigation water from the Halcrow Conservancy. This arrangement was intended to be a temporary measure to bring some degree of relief to the farmers while the construction of an adjacent permanent structure was being done. This structure is still to be completed.
On 22 June, 2016 the Crabwood Creek Water Users’ Association wrote to the Estate management about the HDPE pipe being damaged; an investigation was conducted by the estate which proved that GuySuCo was not responsible for the damaged.
Due to the damaged pipe, water was escaping from the dislocated pipe and into the link canal and the Estate management proceeded to seal both ends of the pipe to prevent further water loss.
On 4 July, 2016 the members of association requested that the pipes be re-opened so that the farmers can access water; this request was granted based on an undertaking from the association to have the dislocated pipe fixed by 30 July, 2016, failing which the management would be forced to remove the pipe in order to prevent constant water loss.
Hence on July 5, 2016, the Estate management wrote the association reminding them of the undertaking of 30 July, 2016 and notifying them of the further steps which may ensue.
The Corporation is therefore surprised that after four years of supporting the farmers by granting permission to install the temporary pipes and engaging them cordially, that instead of informing the management of the Skeldon Estate of any challenges which the association encountered in meeting the deadline given, their preference was to have consulted with the media.
GuySuCo is of the view that this matter should not have been engaging the attention of the media but rather the Crabwood Creek Association should have sought to engage the Estate management in further discussions in the spirit in which they have been doing for the past four years.
