MINISTER of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has disclosed that some fixed and mobile pumps to aid in drainage are expected to arrive in the country sometime between this month and February next year from India.

The 14 pumps are being acquired through a line of credit from India at a value of US$4 million, and will be used for drainage purposes, six of which are due to arrive shortly. Although these are mobile pumps, he noted that at least three will be placed in fixed positions.
Dr. Ramsammy further stated that sometime between November and February, another eight pumps are expected to arrive in Guyana. These would, however, be fixed pumps which are much larger than the mobile pumps.
The pumps which are being acquired through a line of credit from India at a value of US$4 million will be placed in various areas countrywide, such as Windsor Forest, Albion, Rosehall and Crabwood Creek.
The minister advised that the pumping of water will become a major activity of the Ministry of Agriculture. While the 14 pumps will all be used for drainage purposes, he said we should also be concerned about irrigation.
He believes that in the coming weeks there will be a demand to pump irrigation water as an extended dry period is expected, and the only way certain areas will be able to get water is to pump water from the conservancies.
Dr. Ramsammy said that since early last year he had started inspections of all drainage canals and presently, the ministry has engineers constantly visiting the conservancies and the irrigation canals to monitor water levels and also to continuously monitor the status of the pumps.