Efforts underway to improve drainage at Greenfield
 
Georgetown, GINA, December 06, 2007.

Government is investing heavily in improving drainage and irrigation to reduce the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall especially along coastal areas.
            Emphasis is being placed on the Greenfield outfall, East Coast Demerara, which suffers constant siltation that hampers drainage and irrigation in the area and requires significant investments to clear. Approximately $65M is being spent for D&I works at the outfall.  
            Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud had indicated that plans are being developed to address the problem to reduce the risk of water build-up in the Anns Grove/Clonbrook/Greenfield area.
            Recently, he announced that $40M is being spent to procure a pump that will be permanently installed at the outfall. It is expected to be in place early next year as arrangements are underway to import it.
Additionally, $23M is being spent to carry out annual maintenance of the drainage and irrigation system connected to the Greenfield outfall. These works, which have been ongoing throughout the year, included maintenance of approximately 9,500 rods of canals within the Haslington and Greenfield areas. An additional $2M was spent to dredge the channel to ensure constant drainage especially during the rainy season.
Clearing of outfall channels at various locations and maintenance of drainage network along the East Coast Demerara, Corentyne and Essequibo Coast have been constantly carried out.
These projects are part of Government’s wider programme to help the country deal with the effects of climate change that have resulted in increased volume and intensity of rainfall.
            Since the disastrous 2005 flood, significant amounts of resources have been expended to enhance the country’s defence against heavy rainfall. Pumps were installed at vulnerable locations, more crucial structures constructed and rehabilitated and canals and drains reactivated.
            Many of the resources are being spent to repair and upgrade structures and systems that were neglected in the 1970s and 1980s. During last year, more than $55M was spent to rehabilitate the non-functioning Trafalgar pump station in Region Five which was out of commission for more than 30 years.
             Additionally, the entire residential drainage network in West Coast Berbice was cleared and handed over to the various Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) for routine maintenance.
           More than $1B in machinery and equipment have been procured and are being used to improved drainage and irrigation in various areas including empoldering of farmlands in the Mahaica and Mahaicony Creek and Upper and Lower Pomeroon.

Part of the administration’s long-term programme includes dredging of the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary (MMA) Creeks, completion of the MMA Phase II and strengthening of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC)

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