-will provide irrigation to Essequibo rice lands

Amidst criticism in the press, the rehabilitated Dawa pumping station in Region Two is poised to commence operations soon with the aim of bringing irrigation services to 32,500 acres of rice lands on the Essequibo Coast.

The European Union funded project to the tune of $409M is about 90 per cent complete and should be formally commissioned in a matter of days. The four pumps and auxiliary engines from Germany and the Netherlands have been installed and a successful dry run done, this newspaper has learnt.

On completion of the rehabilitation works, all four pumps that the pump station houses should be working at full strength. The pump station, built in the 1960s, has been out of operation for the last five years. Before that, it had been limping along for a number of years with only one of the four pumps working.

In a report published in the Kaieteur News last month, someone purporting to be from the village of Tapakuma levelled allegations of corruption against those involved in the project. The report said too that an EU consultant “seemed unimpressed with what has so far been done.”…..