D&I preparations intensify ahead of May/June rains

-$400M in additional equipment being procured

 Georgetown, GINA, April 27, 2007.

 Stricter monitoring and inspections of all drainage and irrigation (D&I) structures countrywide by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will be undertaken, as preparations for the May/June rainy season intensify.

Members of the media were today updated on D&I projects already completed, those in progress and others scheduled to come on stream. Reports from the hydrometeorological service forecast more than 40 percent of the average rainfall patterns during the May/June period with a possible extension to August.

Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said teams of personnel from NDIA have been mandated to conduct regular inspections to ensure that all pumps, sluices, kokers and other drainage facilities are operable. This is being done in Region Four.

The Minister stated that all citizens have a role to play in ensuring that Guyana is well equipped to deal with heavy rainfall and to avoid any disasters. Residents are being urged to desist from dumping garbage into drains or channels.

Theft of machinery parts from pump houses and interference with D&I structures can result in serious implications to the effective operations of the system, Minister Persaud pointed out.

He noted that a 24-hour command communication centre will be set up at the Ministry of Agriculture to deal with emergencies that may arise during the rainy season. It will provide information to other agencies such as the sea defence unit and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). 

An advertisement is currently being published for interested persons to supply approximately $400M worth of machinery and equipment that will be used to bolster capabilities to deal with the expected heavy rainfall. These include long-boom excavators, mini-excavators, bulldozers and pontoons for the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC).

An additional 30 weather monitoring stations will be operational by May particularly in the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary areas. At the beginning of this year, the Minister had indicated that there were 100 existing stations.

The Cuban Hydrometeorological Service has also been contacted to provide assistance with weather forecasting and monitoring capabilities.

A substantial amount of D&I work has been carried out since last January in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten, representing an investment of approximately $270M.

In Region One, $5M will be spent to clean and excavate drains while $36M is being spent to construct a drainage sluice at Charity, Region Two. Projects in Region Three include construction of a $10M structure at Leguan island and maintenance of canals in several areas across the region.

Canals in several Region Four communities have undergone maintenance including in Cane Grove, Victoria, Anns Grove/Two Friends, Dochfour, Hope Estate, Belfield and Friendship, East Bank Demerara.

In Region Five, rehabilitation and maintenance of structures are being done to the secondary drainage system in the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary areas while maintenance has been done to the primary canals. In addition, a revetment is being constructed at the Bellamy sluice.

Facade drains are being maintained at Number 52/, Crabwood Creek and to canals at Black Bush Polder in Region Six. In Region Ten, structures are being built and the Kara Kara river mouth and drain are being cleared. 

At the EDWC, repairs are in progress to the Kofi relief channel embankment. Maintenance is also being done to waterways in the conservancy.