–work on other key components underway, Agriculture Minister says

THE embankments for two major canals in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) have been completed, paving the way for the construction of sluices and other critical infrastructure, according to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.

The project, aimed at improving drainage and flood control, forms part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen agricultural infrastructure and safeguard key farming regions.
“In Region Six, we have finished the entire embankment already; we are now in the process of doing the canal itself, the two canals from Number 51 and Manchester Lancaster area, and to take that canal out to the Atlantic,” Mustapha told the Guyana Chronicle in an invited comment.

The infrastructure will mirror that of the Hope Canal in Region Four (Demerara Mahaica). This facility, which has Guyana’s largest sluice, aids in directing excess water towards the Atlantic Ocean.

The massive drainage and irrigation infrastructure located in Region Four was commissioned back in 2014, and has eight doors that function as a drainage sluice. In Region Five, the embankment will stretch from Mahaica to Ithaca.
“I am anticipating that shortly, those canals will be completed and the infrastructure that we will put in stream; the sluices and so, will commence shortly. So, a lot of works have already been completed,” he said.

“I am looking forward for this mega infrastructure. Also in the new term, you will see a number of other pump stations being completed; you have a number of works going at pump stations, so all those will modernise the entire drainage and irrigation system,” he added.

In a recent interview with this newspaper, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Chairman, Lionel Wordsworth, said the conversancy at Hope stores high levels of water, and also aids in draining off excess water caused by rainfall and high tides, which would have otherwise affected farmlands and residential areas across several communities along the coast.
Taking note of the direct drainage of excess water from the backlands and conservancy into the Atlantic Ocean through the Hope Canal, the government has recognised the potential benefits of implementing similar canals across the country.

This was also prompted by the extensive flooding in 2021, resulting in the near-total devastation of approximately 85 per cent of the agricultural industry.
Region Five holds the responsibility for yielding a large portion of the nation’s agricultural produce, underscoring the need for appropriate drainage infrastructure to shield the farmers from any potential impacts.

Mustapha expressed his enthusiasm for the commencement and timely completion of the two canals in their respective regions, aiming to enhance the well-being of farmers and local communities. According to Mustapha, it is crucial to alleviate the stress caused by flooding, and to maintain regular land drainage.

There have also been talks to harness the water being conserved in canals such as Hope, adding treatment facilities to the existing infrastructure and converting it.
Once the new infrastructure comes on stream, some 214,000 acres of land will be targeted in Region Five, while in Region Six, 188,000 acres of land will see better water management. A canal is also expected to be built in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) targeting some 28,000 acres of land.