…will substantially improve drainage capacity  – Minister Robert Persaud
THE Ministry of Agriculture and Surrendra Engineering Corporation of India yesterday signed a US$4 million contract for the design and manufacture of fixed and mobile drainage pumps to significantly improve drainage and manage the effects of climate change on Guyana’s coast. The signing took place in the office of Minister of Agriculture Mr. Robert Persaud between the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Mr. George Jervis and Mr. Brijen Parikh representing Indian-based company.
Speaking before the commencement of the signing, CEO of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority Mr. Lionel Wordsworth said the contract is for the supply of 14 pumps.

Of these, eight are fixed pumps and will be constructed and put in a pump house; the other six of them are mobile pumps.
“We are at this stage here today because we went through a competitive bidding process with companies out of India bidding for this project. Because it is a line of credit from the Indian Government, only bidders out of India were allowed to bid for this contract. In fact, it is a retender that we had to do and we are having an award of the contract here today,” Wordsworth said.
Speaking at the signing, Minister Persaud said the pumps will be installed across the country, along the coast in the most vulnerable areas, “especially where we don’t have pumps.” He said with the pumps from this arrangement coming into the country, they would boost the country’s complement of such equipment to nearly 100 units.
He said the 14 pumps would improve drainage for up to 60,000 acres in all the farming regions. “Some of the areas we’re looking at include Windsor Forest, the Cane Grove area, the Black Bush area, Paradise, Enterprise and Dazell Housing Scheme on the East Coast,” he said. He added it would not only support farmers and residents but also help the Guyana Sugar Corporation to manage its drainage system.
Persaud said the pumps would allow the Ministry to increase its rapid deployment capacity especially in times of emergency.
“I want to say that what we witnessed here is a very critically needed and long outstanding investment in our drainage sector that also allows us to manage the effects of climate change. Foremost we would like to thank the Indian Government for making the financing available. It is part of a larger financing available to the Government of Guyana,” the minister said.
“This US$4 million will allow us to have access to resources and technology to manage our very vulnerable drainage system especially during periods of heavy rainfall. This is a landmark because, for the first time in our history, we are putting in 14 pumps [at one time],” the Minister said.
“We are not only putting in 14 pumps, we are putting in 14 high-capacity pumps and we are going with pumps in the region of 200 cusecs and 99 percent of the pumps we have in the country today, the maximum you get is 150 cusecs. So what it tells is that we are not just buying pumps but we are buying those with greater capacity and greater discharge,” he explained.
The Agriculture Minister also indicated that, because of the effects of climate change, “we have to constantly put more units of greater discharge capacity.” He said the same is being done with sluices, where larger ones are replacing smaller ones across the country and are being supplemented by pumps.
“We are not only expanding the drainage system but also gearing the drainage system for the long term effects of climate change,” he said.
According to the Minister, the intention is to have the pumps ready by the December – January rainy season. He said the project, in addition to supplying the pumps, would also cover supervision, back up support and training. This, he said, is “because the technology

that is being used is new and within the Ministry and also in the wider sector we want to develop this capacity.” He spoke also of Guyanese persons being trained in India in the use of some of the new technologies.
“For these investments to work, operation and maintenance are very critical, so we want to develop that in-house capacity,” Persaud said.
“We did not only have to comply with national procurement policies but also we had to satisfy the Indian Government, given the conditions under which this financing is made available,” he said.
The Minister noted that it is not the first time that the company is doing business in Guyana and he reminded the media that this is the same Indian company that won the contract for the construction of the Enmore Gold Packaging Plant, slated for commissioning on Monday.
Brijen Parikh of Surrendra Engineering Corporation Ltd said it brings joy to be the successful bidder in the project and expressed his gratitude to the Minister and his team.

“We have full confidence in our capabilities and equipment and the strong team of experienced partners committed towards excellence,” said Parikh.