$6.6 billion will be invested this year towards the purchase of equipment and construction, rehabilitation and operational works of the national drainage and irrigation system, Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh says.
“With the operation of an increased number of pumps and the construction and rehabilitation of key drainage and irrigation structures and access roads, there will be an improvement in the discharge capacity and flood control performance,” he said during the national budget presentation on Monday. Additional infrastructure works such as the construction of a drainage sluice at Cottage, and at Abary, rehabilitation of sluice at Lonsdale as well as rehabilitation and installation of pumps at Greenfield will also be completed,” he said.
The minister had noted that last year, $5.1B was spent on drainage and irrigation to conduct major capital works which included rehabilitation of control structures, construction and rehabilitation of sluices and revetment at De Willem, Waterloo, Amersforte, Buxton, Moleson Creek and Alness, and earthworks rehabilitation at Black Bush Polder. “Earthworks have also commenced at Hope outfall, which entails the construction of a new outlet channel of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) which is expected to commence in 2011,” he said.
In relation to Hydrometeorology, the minister said that government continues to make progress in the hydrometeorological service by improving the meteorology and hydrological technology and information system, with the aim of improving weather and climate forecasting for aviation activities, agricultural planning, decision-making and disaster risk management across the country, as well as, general public awareness.
“In light of the climate change phenomenon, the services provided by the hydrometeorological office have become pivotal to our decision making process, as such, in 2011, there will be an expansion and modernisation of the hydrological networking system along the country’s coastal and inland locations,” he said. To this end, $24M was allocated for the purchase of equipment, construction and maintenance of hydrological stations, training, and the launching of the National Water Information System.
