MMA’s main D&I system prepared for heavy rainfall

-Authority’s General Manager  

Georgetown, GINA, May 18, 2007.

General Manager of the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) Aubrey Charles, has assured that the primary drainage and irrigation (D&I) system within the MMA area is well prepared to deal with heavy rainfall.

Maintenance of the primary D&I system is the responsibility of the MMA/ADA and significant investments have been made to ensure continuous improvement and efficiency of the system, Charles said.

He noted that maintenance of the secondary drainage system is the responsibility of the farmers, some of whom have not done their work. At present, MMA/ADA is carrying out a major rehabilitation programme to improve the secondary system after which farmers will be responsible for its maintenance.

The MMA/ADA will work out a six-week cycle of maintenance for the D&I system once payments are made by farmers.

The Trafalgar pumps which were reactivated have boosted operations of the D&I system in Region Five. The pumps, which were out of operation since the 1980s, were repaired following a commitment made by President Bharrat Jagdeo in early 2006. The Head-of-State had committed to repairing two of the four pumps located at the Trafalgar pump station in response to residents’ request. The newly repaired pumps have a total capacity of 157, 500 gallons of water per minute.

The pumps were not in operation during 2005 and early 2006 when the Region experienced heavy rainfall and water accumulation in several areas.

The General Manager urged that the various Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) foster their maintenance programme to ensure that the residential drainage system is prepared to deal with heavy rainfall as forecasted by the hydrometeorological service. Major rehabilitation of the various villages was undertaken by the MMA/ADA during 2006 under the instruction of President Jagdeo, and based on residents’ request for improved D&I in their areas.

Geographical designs of the D&I system were prepared for each village and presented to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Five and the various NDCs. This was intended to guide the NDCs to carry out D&I maintenance.

Project proposals for the MMA/ADA were finalised in 1962 to provide water control for coastal lands by impounding the flood waters in conservancies located in the upper reaches of the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary rivers, through construction of civil engineering infrastructure.

The project was divided into three phases with each phase covering an area between two of the rivers, hence the Abary-Berbice, the Mahaicony-Abary and the Mahaica-Mahaicony areas.