The Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU),hasheightened its flood prevention efforts in preparation for the upcoming May/June rainy season.
These efforts are being achieved through the construction and instillation of several drainage and irrigation structures in low-lying areas along Guyana’s coast. These areas are known to be prone to flooding but were neglected over the years.
Pump Stations are being strategically constructed on the East Coast of Demerara at Lusignan, Friendship/ Vigilance, Buxton, Enmore and a sluice at Triumph is being reconstructed.
The ASDU is responsible for facilitating the construction of the three pump stations located at Lusignan, Friendship/Vigilance and Enmore. This project is being funded by the World Bank at a cost of GY $1,407,345,410.It also includes the rehabilitation of 4 kilometres of the dam from the Hope intake structure to the Enmore intake structure.
The drainage capacity of the pumps at Lusignan and Enmore is 3 m/s³ while the Friendship/Vigilancepump will have a drainage capacity of 2 m/s³. These pump stations are expected to be commissioned in April, 2018.
Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, in an invited comment indicated that government is in the process of improving the country’s overall drainage capacity, especially in communities that have been without proper drainage and irrigation for decades.
During the site visit, Minister Holder urged the engineers to keep in mind the approaching rainy season and to ensure that works are on schedule.
The NDIA has also expended GY $581,644,662 for the construction and rehabilitation of drainage and irrigation structures at Buxton and Triumph, ECD.
CEO of NDIA, Fredrick Flatts indicated that the old sluice at Triumph had shown signs of structural failure and that it was underutilized due to those defects.