THE protection of Guyana’s sea and river defence remains a priority for the government. Over $107 million in works will soon be executed in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six.

Invitation for bids is being extended to eligible bidders to undertake the works being advertised by the Ministry of Public Works, Works Services Group.

The works to be undertaken include maintenance of earthen embankment and incorporation of timber revetment at Lower and Upper Pomeroon, incorporation of timber revetment at Manicuru Creek, Upper Pomeroon, and maintenance of earthen embankment at Success, Leguan Island and the incorporation of timber revetment along the outfall channel at Wales.

The ministry is also seeking to have boulder face protection works at La Grange, maintenance works to the concrete structure along the Georgetown seawall, maintenance of earthen embankment and incorporation of timber revetment at Cambridge, Mahaica, Farm Mahaicony and Overwinning, East Bank Berbice, along with the incorporation of gabion mattress slope to the river defences at Crabwood Creek.

Government, through budget 2022, has allotted $5 billion towards sea and river defence.

Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, during the budget debates made it clear that the government’s investment in sea defence is an investment to secure agriculture.

“It is not just boulders and riprap sea defence we are thinking about, we are thinking about the thousands of farmers who plant cash crops, rice, sugar, the poultry farmers, the cattle farmers.

They have to be able to carry on their trade so we have to keep the sea out. So, we are making the investment to secure agriculture,” Minister Edghill said.

In 2021, government invested $4.7 billion in the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of rip-rap sea defence in areas including Fairfield, Naamryck, Zeelugt, Zeelandia and Leguan.

Further, the construction of 100 metres of geotextile tube groyne at Non Pariel was completed, along with the planting of 40,000 mangrove seedlings. (DPI)