Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said the Canal polders in Region Three will be rehabilitated in March and an area has been identified to build another outlet in the region.

Persaud made these disclosures following a visit to the area to assess the damage done since the start of the rainy season. The works will be done under the Agricultural Diversification Project through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and will focus on major waterways, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

The minister said the entire drainage infrastructure is expected to be repaired and a new pump station installed at Canal Number Two Polder. An additional outlet estimated to cost $100M, will also be built aback this polder to boost draining as farming is a major economic activity here. The outlet is also expected to boost the discharge of water internally into the Demerara River.

Persaud said the ministry would be utilizing its own equipment for the project and that it is working with the farmers to have the area empoldered. He said persons were committing breaches on the ‘B’ Line and the ‘C’ Line dams that lead water into the farming areas and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will be sealing areas where persons have obstructed the dams. The minister said too measures are being put in place to combat the overgrowth of weeds in the Canals. He said a chemical application may be applied to stem its rapid growth.