– such as West Watooka
THE Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has reiterated its commitment to improving drainage and irrigation services in vulnerable communities such as the West Watooka area in Region 10. Given the adverse effects of rainfall compounded by the spring tide in this area, the NDIA said it had moved to award a contract to construct five new drainage structures, rehabilitate eight drainage structures and clear nine canals to Pioneer General Construction, who happens to be a contractor who lives in Linden, Region 10.
According to a statement from the NDIA, this intervention to clean the canals within Region 10 and other regions will improve drainage services particularly in areas where the local authorities are unable to maintain. Under the contract, NDIA said the clearing of the nine canals would cost $3,365,000.
The NDIA also responded to a Kaieteur News article dated May 22, 2012 titled: ‘NDIA boss incurs ire of West Watooka residents’.
“The NDIA wishes to make it explicitly clear that at no time was a meeting planned with the CEO, NDIA,nor was he requested[to be] at a meeting at 10:00 hrs on Monday, May 21, 2012. What was in fact agreed upon at a meeting on Sunday, May 20, 2012 was that the NDIA Regional Engineer would revisit the area along with a representative from the RDC. As such, the engineer did visit the area on Monday, May 21, 2012. In addition, this arrangement to visit on Monday was also made with Member of Parliament, Vanessa Kissoon on Friday, May 19th, 2012. The Regional Chairman was also informed of such,” the NDIA clarified.
It said given the imminent rains, the NDIA had awarded a contract for critical canals to be cleared. Arising out of a meeting with the RDC/NDIA, it said the West Watooka Group is strongly representing that they manually clear the canals at the proposed corrected cost of $4.9M.
“When compared to the $3,365,000 of the contractor doing mechanical cleaning this represents an increased price of 31.3 %. Further, the contractor was scheduled to clean nine canals whereas the group in its proposal would only clean seven canals,” the NDIA stated.
Given the current weather pattern, the NDIA said it remains committed in its efforts to improve drainage in Region 10 and other areas of Guyana.