-as NDIA prepares for rainy season
Government in this year’s budget allocated huge sums to ensure that agricultural practices are maintained countrywide.
While outlining the 2010 status report for the drainage and irrigation capital works programme to be done in Region 10, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud emphasised the need for drainage structures in the mining town to be functional, at optimum level, and noted that for this to be realized, several projects will be undertaken throughout the region to the value of $31M.
He issued the call while addressing farmers, community development groups and Regional officers at a meeting held to discuss activities to deal with the current rainy season at the Linmine, Constabulary Building, Linden, Region Ten.
Drainage structures will be built at West Watooka at a cost of $13M, two at Wismar Hill at $7M and $3M, and at Lower Kara Kara at $6M.
The projects are currently being advertised for tender, and according to Minister Persaud, upon successful bidding, works will immediately commence.
“The purpose is for us not only to review what it is we are doing, what we need to do, but also to see how is it we can get it done at the region, the town council and even at the farmers’ level, and to have better cooperation and support at all levels so that the drainage system in Region 10 will be significantly enhanced,” he said.
The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has also identified the Wisroc area for major maintenance works.
The maintenance works, according to Minister Persaud, were tendered through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures specified in the Procurement Act of 2003. This will include the manual cleaning and de-silting of drainage channels in Wismar at an estimated cost of $2M.
Under the Ministry’s maintenance works programme for 2010, the NDIA has identified several areas that will benefit from government’s programmes.
These will include:- manual cleaning and de-silting of paddy creek and drains in West Watooka- $2M, Rockstone- $1M, Aouraka creek in Cinderella City- $2M, creeks in Siberien/ Old England- $1M, Kair Creek and Soakaway in Block 22- $992,000, channels in Retrieve/ Bulletwood Street- $625,000, Canvas City and Campbell Creek- $2M, Creeks in First, Second and Third alley- $200,000, drains and main creek in Section “B” community development committee group- $510,000, drains in Industrial area- $800,000, Wakanabu Creek and Victory Valley- $1M, and creeks in Green Valley- $267,000. All totaling $14.8M
Minister Persaud, addressing the gathering, said that originally, drainage in Region 10 farming communities was not the primary responsibility of the NDIA. However, it was agreed upon to commit resources, money and technical equipment to support farmers as further encouragement to diversify the industry.
“We have increased our extension services, we have brought in some of the best trained individuals to work here, and we have given, from time to time, support to the farmers’ groups as efforts intensify to have a more stable and developed agriculture sector.”
Government has also been working with a number of agriculture and the forestry groups, encouraging them to invest some of their resources into agriculture and agro-processing, “This is the general thrust that we have taken in terms of agricultural development and also diversifying the industry.”
During yesterday’s exercise, under the community D&I project, 25 more community enhancement workers were employed. It is also intended to have, at the community level, constant attention being given to enhance community drainage and to ensure that all waterways are cleared. Workers under the project have been tasked with providing support by cleaning parapets, weeding bushes along and around key canals, and cleaning and clearing of garbage from critical drains and trenches.
The project, which is an initiative of President Bharrat Jagdeo, commenced after the 2005 flood to deal effectively with climate change and the country’s vulnerability of being below sea level. (GINA)