The designs for major drainage canals in Regions Five and Six are expected to be completed by February 2024 so that infrastructural works can begin on the Hope Canal-like structures.
The government is pumping a lot of funds into massive projects to enhance the drainage systems in the two regions, the Department of Public Information (DPI) said yesterday.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha made the disclosure during a recent farmers’ meeting.
The National Assembly recently approved the sum of $5.3 billion to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) for additional resources to facilitate critical drainage and irrigation works.
Of that sum, the government has allocated $6.4 million to complete the designs for the canals.
“These will be massive structures. These will be canals that will help us when we have excessive rainfall and excessive water in the system to drain the system without putting pressure on our drainage we now have,” Mustapha stated, according to DPI.
He added that the consultants working on the plans have promised to build the canals so that water can be conserved for use in irrigation, particularly during extended dry periods.
A few weeks ago, Mustapha also noted that the president was briefed on the latest aspects of these structures.
The agriculture minister emphasised, “We will start the Hope-like Canal in various regions like Regions Five and Six. We are now working to design those canals…Parts of those canals, especially times like these, will act a as a reservoir for us too…So that we can have it to use as some form of irrigation.”
During the recent Sitting of the National Assembly, Mustapha had also highlighted that there are several canals throughout the country that need rehabilitative works to improve D&I throughout the country including Friendship, Den Amstel, Craig, Plaisance, Profit, Belladrum, New Amsterdam, Manchester, Black Bush Polder, Bonasika, and Mahaicony Creek, among others. These works will be competed at a cost of $2.5 billion.
