Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud says about $20M is being spent to boost the drainage system in Region Ten.
He was speaking during an outreach exercise at Linden on Monday.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) said there was no accumulation of water when it visited the area though there had been reports that some low-lying sections of the region had experienced flooding following heavy showers on Christmas Eve day. The ministry made immediate interventions to clear the Hiamara creek and conducted some drainage works at Rainbow City and Cara Cara following the rains.
Additionally the minister and a team comprising officials from the Ministry of Crops and Livestock and the region checked on critical drainage and irrigation structures as well as those at West Watooka, Cara Cara, Hiamara, David Rose Avenue, Washer Pond Road and Blueberry Hill.
According to GINA Persaud said that works are being conducted countrywide to boost drainage and irrigation primarily in agricultural areas. He said too about $20M is being spent on works in Linden and he is hopeful that the interventions will improve the drainage situation. The minister also said since there is renewed emphasis in agriculture at Linden more work will have to be done in the region.
Persaud also noted concerns about poor quality work being done and poor supervision by the regional administration which is affecting drainage, farmers and citizens. “If we don’t get good performance in some of the drainage projects and implementation by the region…if these are not done in a timely and an effective way it can compound the situation when we get unusually high levels of rainfall,” he said. The minister noted that there is need to ensure that systems put in place are working.