…with aim of advising their Cabinet on funding possibilities
A Japanese mission is in Guyana to perform an assessment of the possibilities for assisting Government find a practical solution to strengthening the dam of the East Demerara Water Conservancy to complement the Treasury-funded Northern Relief Channel.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud yesterday met the team of experts at his office and briefed them as to what the Ministry was doing in terms of rehabilitating the drainage and irrigation structures and the advances made in the East Demerara Water Conservancy Northern Relief Channel
He said that President Bharrat Jagdeo some years ago visited Japan and spoke with his counterpart as to possible help that Japan could provide to Guyana. He said that there have been about seven different missions from Japan, looking at the situation.
“I know that it took a bit long, but we are happy that we are seeing some indication that we would be seeing results from this interaction. It is coming at a very important time for us when the Government itself is making investments so that we can better manage and have a safer conservancy,” the Minister said.
He said he was told that this mission is the final mission to advise the Japanese Cabinet as to what are the particular interventions that they would be making to the tune of US$6.8 million.
He said the grant would be working on two components. The first of these is the supply of machinery consisting of two pontoons and some excavators “that would allow us to build the dam.” The second component is the rehabilitation of a number of infrastructure, including the Cunha sluice and some others “so that we could better manage the conservancy.”
He said experts from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authorities have stressed the critical nature of the project, given the challenges of climate change. The Minister said because of Guyana’s vulnerability, it is urgent that the country makes these interventions.
“We have communities that experience seasonal floods and the conservancy is a major contributor, especially when it reaches dangerous levels and we must evacuate water into the residential and farming communities. These types of investments are what we are doing so that we can better adapt,” he said, adding that he hopes that by early next year the project will be realised.
Speaking at the press conference, CEO of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, said his agency has devised a framework for the execution of the project in a timely manner “and we have a common understanding on both sides how we will proceed.”
“Importantly, we have a arrived at a point of having the project being done in two components, whereby there will be an advancement of the procurement which will be received very early, and which will be used to complement work that we are currently doing in the conservancy,” he said.