Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha last week confirmed that works are continuing on the Adventure, Corentyne Pump Station which he said is a “multi-year project.”
In September, Stabroek News carried a letter by a resident of Adventure, Sarabjit Prashad which stated that almost a year had passed and the project was stalled at that time.
According to the letter writer, “Work is stagnant. There seems to be no hurry in finishing it… A building or structure has not been constructed for the pump and there is no evidence of a pump for the project. Judging from how other pump stations work, the Adventure project is not even 10% completed, much less 50%. It raises some questions.”
He added: “It was supposed to mitigate flooding in the Black Bush Polder area and Cookrite Savannah but being incomplete, resulting in floods earlier this year in surrounding areas. This is the area that was inundated by floodwater in May 2021 turning it into a large lake. Stabroek News provided extensive coverage of the flooding and also carried an editorial on mishandling of infrastructure projects and failure to deter cultivation in the Cookrite Savannah”.
At that time, sources in the region said that the project was stalled for a while due to “technical issues” but works had recommenced.
Mustapha last week stressed, that works are continuing as according to him the contractor would soon be taking NDIA engineers “for testing of the pump.”
Also back in September, sources identified the contractor as Anil Sawh, of D. Sawh Mechanical Workshop. When contacted then Sawh lashed out at this newspaper, stating that he would be contacting his lawyers with regard to the letter carried in the newspaper.
Further Region Six Chairman, David Armogan had also distanced himself from the project then. He had told this newspaper that he is unaware of who the contractor is since it is a National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) project.
Questioned whether as regional chairman he periodically checks on projects being carried out within the region, he said that “We don’t see the bill of quantities… I don’t even know who is the contractor.”
He continued, “All that we know, we see it’s a contract arranged by NDIA, I see some people working there and we does pass there sometimes and we does stop just to see what they are doing and stuff like that.”
He added “It is something to benefit my region, but this is the problem, if we don’t get the bill of quantities and I don’t get anything, wah I gun check for?”
Mustapha previously committed that two pumps at a cost of $1.2 billion would be constructed. Earlier this year he had said, “I made the commitment when I was in Black Bush Polder that we will build a pump in Black Bush, an irrigation pump there and that we will have a drainage pump at Adventure so all the Black Bush Polder outlets will have pumps now.”
Furthermore, massive drainage works have been ongoing throughout the region so as to avoid any major flooding. Notably, for the first time in many years there have been no reports of major flooding within Region Six despite the severe rainy period which has been ongoing.
