IN response to respond to Mr. M. Alli’s letter which used Mr. C. Sohan’s letter of March 11, 2010 in Stabroek News as a springboard. Let me say firstly that it is erroneous to state that the National Drainage and irrigation Authority (NDIA) has not been working on the drainage and irrigation systems during the current dry season to prevent flooding in the coming rainy season. In fact, the NDIA has been working assiduously throughout the present dry season to improve both irrigation and drainage in coastal and other areas. However, we wish to state that because of the current ‘El Nino’ phenomenon, we have emphasised the supply of water to farmers, in an effort to minimise or eradicate the loss of their crop.
As the values of the loans quoted by Mr. Alli do not correspond with our records, we hereby state the facts. In 2004, the Government of Guyana received a US$25M IDB loan under the Agriculture Support Services Programme (ASSP) to execute a number of activities including the rehabilitation of the drainage and irrigation systems in nine drainage and irrigation areas. This loan was restructured and reduced to US$20M in 2007 with an allocation of US$10.5M for drainage and irrigation works.
In April 2009, the Ministry of Agriculture signed four contracts totalling G$1.2B for the rehabilitation of D&I structures in the following areas:
* Vergenoegen/Bonasika and Den Amstel/Fellowship
* Vreed-en-Hoop/La Jalousie
* Golden Grove/Victoria and
* Crabwood Creek.
Similarly, under the IDB US$22M Agricultural Export Diversification Programme (ADP), a contract valued G$390M was awarded in August 2009 for the rehabilitation of the D&I structures in Canals Polder areas.
The progress of works in the six areas stated above varies from 45 per cent to 80 per cent. The earthworks (excavation of primary and secondary drains and canals in these six areas are being executed by the NDIA as counterpart contribution at a significant saving to the government. To date the overall progress of the earthworks which is being monitored by independent consultants is approximately 80 per cent. This translates into hundreds of miles of channels being excavated over the last 18 months.
Further, Mr. Alli’s assertion that the D&I works were being neglected and “most of the loan monies were used up at the EDWC” is incorrect. It is true that the Ministry of Agriculture is rehabilitating structures and earthworks in the East Demerara Water Conservancy but these works are being funded by the government and a grant from the Global Environment Facility Special Climate Change Fund managed by the World Bank under the Conservancy Adaptation Project.
We expect to sign a contract for the extensive rehabilitation of pumps and pump stations at Golden Grove, Craig Milne/Victoria and Cane Grove within the next three weeks. We have also issued invitation for bids in the local and overseas media for the rehabilitation of D&I work in the East Black Bush Polder area and works are expected to commence in July 2010.
Finally, we wish to state that the amount of work currently being done in the D&I systems by the Ministry of Agriculture is unparalleled in the last few decades of this country.
