The Dutch cabinet has promised it will look for an alternative to returning a polder in Zeeland province to the sea.

The Netherlands signed a treaty with Belgium, agreeing to deepen the Westerscheldt river, and to flood the Hedwige polder as a compensation for the wetlands that will be lost by the dredging of the waterway. Local protests convinced the Council of State, the highest government advisory body, to block the re-flooding of the polder, which led to a diplomatic row with Belgium.

Patience
The Westerscheldt is Antwerp harbour's only connection to the Northsea. Large container ships and bulk carriers can only reach Belgium's seaport at high tide. Antwerp's port director, Eddie Bruinings, told BNR Radio after the Lower House debate on Thursday that his patience has been exhausted. "A lot was said in the debate about nature values, but the actual dredging was barely mentioned. We're already way behind schedule." Mr Bruinings is not ruling out that the Flanders government, the Antwerp council and local businesses may claim damages from the Dutch because of the stalled dredging of the Westerscheldt. The work was due to be completed by 1 January 2010, but observers say it is unlikely that that deadline can be met.

Local protest groups continue to oppose the reflooding of the polder, which is currently in use as agricultural land. Many families in the province are still traumatised by the 1953 disaster, when hurricane winds and high tides broke dykes all over the Western Netherlands, killing 1850 people. Protest leader Jaap Geleijnse told reporters, "If the water is let in, all hell will break loose. Resistance is mounting here. We have been accommodating for long enough."

Pressure on cabinet
The Dutch coalition government is divided over the issue. The small Christian Union, which has a lot of support in Zeeland province, is dead against the reflooding; Labour doubts whether any alternatives can be found, and the Christian Democrats are feverishly trying to find a compromise solution which will not damage Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, who hails from Zeeland himself.

The Lower House debate was broken off when Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg nearly fainted when replying to questions from the floor. She was taken to hospital, but the cause of her malaise was not immediately found. Ms Verburg has meanwhile recovered.