The government in keeping with commitments it made last year, has commissioned Guyana’s first amphibious excavator at the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) in Flagstaff, Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara.
According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) release, the landmark piece of machinery which costs more than $60 million will be used exclusively for works in the conservancy. The excavator is capable of working in waterways as deep as sixteen feet and is fully self-propelled. This gives the machine the ability to work in critical areas bringing significant relief to drainage and irrigation in those very hard to reach areas.
Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, who commissioned the excavator, expressed his views on the expectations of the machine. “This acquisition is expected to assist in executing works in those hard to reach areas that are at risk of flooding and will bring relief to residents and farmers whose economic activities are usually disrupted by flooding caused by intense rainfall and overtopping of the sea defence.”
Omesh Jaikarran, a farmer from the village of Hope on the East Coast of Demerara expressed his appreciation and believes that this is a great move as it would have major positive impacts for him and other farmers in the community.
“I see this here as a very improved facility towards farmers and drainage and irrigation, in helping to clear the canals. So, we would be able to get access to water easily and maintenance to our drainage and irrigation most of all.”
DPI stated that the excavator was acquired with the use of residual funds from Phase Two of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JCIA) sponsored project aimed at rehabilitating the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC). These rehabilitation works are critical as the EDWC supplies water to all the plantations and estates on the East Coast Demerara and the East Bank of Demerara.
