The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) through the Ministry of Agriculture has in the pipeline the purchase of two long-boom excavators at a cost of $60M for work on the main conservancy.
The excavators are necessary to buttress the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) dam, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud told the media last week. He mentioned that this was one of the projects the NDIA would have hoped to complete before the rainy season but was unable to because of a lack of resources.
He noted, however, that upon approaching President Bharrat Jagdeo they were able to work on procurement of the equipment. The dam has been described by experts as fragile in several parts. Overtopping of the conservancy was said to have been a major factor in the 2005 Great Flood.
Persaud also highlighted that he would have liked to see more maintenance being done on various projects executed through the Ministry by Regional Democratic Councils (RDC) and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC). He said there is a new slate of regional officials and with local government elections it is hoped also a new crop of NDCs would change guard and therefore be able to focus in this direction.
Minister Persaud noted further that the expenditure of the NDIA came up to some $1,455,754 last year.
The NDIA was able to during the year to rehabilitate some 90 miles of canals and drains in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten. They also constructed and rehabilitated some nine miles of earthen embankment at the Capoey Conservancy in Region Two, the EDWC at Enmore and the Mahaica River in Region Four and Perth-Biaboo and Perth Village, Region Five.
Some 2,000 feet of timber revetments were constructed in Regions Three, Four and Five. Culverts and structures were constructed and rehabilitated at various sites in Regions Two, Three, Four and Five. Major rehabilitation and construction was done on sluices at Charity, Region Two; La Ladrie, Friendship, Anns Grove, Hope, Triumph and Company Canal, Buxton in Region Four.
The Ministry has also procured and installed two mobile pumps at #19 and #42 Corentyne in Region Six and rehabilitated two Trafalgar pumps in Region Five.
The Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary-Agricul-tural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) acquired some $798M worth of equipment including bulldozers, excavators, tractors and trucks among others. The agency was able to reconstruct drainage infrastructure in West Coast Berbice villages and the plans were handed over to the NDCs and RDCs there.
The MMA also undertook rehabilitation of primary drainage and irrigation infrastructure in Phase One of the MMA/ADA project as well as secondary drainage and irrigation structures.
Other infrastructural work executed by the agency in preparation for the expected rain included the construction of polders located at South MARDS to Gordon Table, Mahaicony; facade extension from Hyde Park to Guiana Grove on the right bank of the Mahaicony River, replacement of two gates on the Hyde Park sluice and rehabilitation of an outfall sluice at Guiana Grove and the Bellamy Canal.
