In a bid to strengthen the sea defence at Reliance, Essequibo, Region Two, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) on Wednesday signed a $13.8M contract with Samaroo Investment for the installation of geotextiles tubes.
NAREI’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Oudho Homenauth and Doodnauth Samaroo, Managing Director of the contracting company signed the contract at NAREI, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, according to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The contract specifies that 100m geotextiles tubes are to be installed to form groynes along the foreshore at Reliance, Essequibo. The release said that the general scope of works includes the alignment of 100m geotextile tubes with a circumference of 30 feet and geotextile layers (scour aprons with four feet circumference anchor tubes and Geo-grids) perpendicular to the current sea defences and sand fill tubes using slurry. The groynes shall be placed 10m from the sea defences.
To strengthen coastal sea defence, the release said that NAREI has over the years implemented a number of interventions throughout the country. In Essequibo, interventions were made for the restoration of mangroves and creation of an enabling environment to promote restoration in areas where the supporting criteria does not exists.
The release said that the entity has completed seedling planting at Lima, Essequibo which has resulted in successful restoration and natural regeneration extending the forest length and width. Geotextile tube groynes and Spartina planting at Devonshire Castle were done and this resulted in increased elevation and natural regeneration. A bamboo brushwood dam that was done at Walton Hall is being monitored and is expected to support increase elevation. NAREI will follow up with Spartina grass planting.
