New $86.6M mobile pump to solve East Coast Demerara drainage woes

Georgetown, GINA, January 11, 2008

A new mobile hydraulic pump at Hope, East Coast Demerara was commissioned today signalling another commitment by government to strengthen the capacity of the drainage and irrigation system.

The new system will supplement the function of sluices which have been the traditional source of drainage and irrigation.

The pump which was commissioned by Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud is one of two stationed at Hope and Greenfield to serve the two communities as well as those adjoining, such as Belfield, Two Friends, Anns Grove and Clonbrook and other areas vulnerable to inundation.

The commissioning was held in the presence of representatives of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Chairman of Region Four Clement Corlette, several farmers and other residents from the area.

The two hydraulically-driven drainage pumps were procured by the Ministry of Agriculture through the NDIA which contracted the MWI Corporation of the United States of America.

The installation and supervision of the process which was undertaken by the NDIA took four months. The pumps are mounted on a mobile skid, fitted with 36-inch discharge pipes and 350 horse power engines.

They have the capacity to discharge 560 gallons of water per second which, over a five-hour period, can lead to 10,000 gallons of water being discharged.

Minister Persaud speaking on the initiative said government intends to implement more mechanical drainage measures this year in various parts of the coastland including the Essequibo Islands.

The East Coast of Demerara is expected to benefit from the installation of more than 40 pumps which will add to efforts to improve drainage and irrigation.

The Minister said that mobile pumps have proven to be the most efficient way of responding to drainage and have been the method used in other countries faced by natural disasters. The effectiveness of this system in Guyana, he noted was realised during the 2005 floods.

“We have to intervene in this way because we are below sea level and we can only open sluices at low tide. This restricts the amount of hours we can actually do drainage… we had close to four inches of rainfall within a 18-hour period and this puts pressure on our capacity since the infrastructure was designed to deal with two inches of rainfall per day,” Minister Persaud said. 

While expressing confidence in the new system and the level of co-operation between the Ministry and the Region, Minister Persaud noted his disappointment in the way in which drainage systems are often compromised.

He made reference to several acts of vandalism on pumps and dams and the habit of disposing garbage in the waterways which leads to major siltation. He issued an appeal for residents to protect these resources.

The pumps will be to the benefit of farmers and other residents of the area according to Regional Chairman Clement Corlette who lauded the level of cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Regional Administration which boosted the region’s plans for drainage and irrigation efforts.

Corlette said the region spent some $23M in capital work as part of its work programme, with $61M being expended for maintenance.

“Maintenance will be very important to a successful drainage programme but it will also include keeping the canals clean. I must take this opportunity to appeal to our residents to desist from throwing garbage into the canal… you can help us by being more careful in garbage disposal,” Corlette said.

Government spends close to $600M to manage the drainage and irrigation system and also intends to undertake a project of rehabilitating old kokers and sluices.

 

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