The Essequibo River islands of Leguan and Wakenaam will soon see improvements to the drainage and irrigation capacity of both islands following the signing of contracts yesterday.
The contracts were signed in the boardroom of the Ministry of Agriculture in the presence of Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Head, Lionel Wordsworth as well as other regional officials from Region 3.
The three projects, which will be piloted by the NDIA, amount to some $213,368,620 and include the construction of a sluice at Waterloo, Leguan, the construction of drainage structures at Amersfort, Wakenaam and the rehabilitation and installation of drainage pumps at Greenfield, East Coast Demerara.
Farmers residing on the two Essequibo River islands had complained to this newspaper on recent visits there about the poor drainage infrastructure.
They had said that drainage and sea defence were more important than the airstrips that had been proposed by the government for the two islands. At Wakenaam rice farmers told this newspaper in March this year that the drainage and irrigation facilities on the island needed to be overhauled since they were hampering farming activities.
The contract for the construction of the sluice at Wakenaam was awarded to Jainool Hoosain Civil Engineering Contracting Services and will be of six months duration. The $41M contract includes concrete works, construction of timber revetment, the placement of foundation tiles as well as the installation of a cable and winch.
According to a Ministry of Agriculture release, the NDIA plans to improve the drainage system for 2,800 acres of farmland at Waterloo, Leguan. The release noted that Persaud met with farmers there recently and following that visit, a decision was taken to include the project in the NDIA 2009 capital works programme.
At Amersfort, Leguan the drainage structure which has been inoperable for a number of years, will provide drainage for some 2,100 acres of farmland and the new structure will increase the capacity of the drainage system by some 30%. That contract was awarded to S. Khan General Contracting Services to the tune of $24,811,550. The contract also has a six-month lifespan.
Minister Persaud noted that the East Coast of Demerara is usually vulnerable to flooding since it is one of the lowest areas on the coastland.
He said plans are in train to include in next year’s budget, monies for the construction of groynes at Greenfield which will ease sedimentation in that area. As regards the contract which was signed yesterday for $147,037,400, he said the area will be monitored where the installation of the two mechanically driven pumps, the construction of a new pump house as well as the installation of two diesel driven pumps, are concerned.
Chariman of the Leguan NDC, Durga Persaud noted that the project at Amersfort, Leguan, will greatly assist farmers there. His colleague at Wakenaam, Zakir Khan also expressed similar sentiments and both men voiced appreciation to the Ministry of Agriculture and the NDIA for allocating contracts, which they noted, will be to the benefit of farmers on the two islands.
