Senior Ministry of Agriculture Engineer, Mr. Fredrick Flatts has reported that work on the Vergenogen/Bonasika and Den Amstel/Friendship control structures and access roads is some 17 per cent complete.

That project is part of a wider $ 1.2 B programme to improve drainage and irrigation structures and access roads at Vreed-en-Hoop/La Jalousie, also in Region Three (West Demerara/ Essequibo Islands), Golden Grove/Victoria, Region Four, (Demerara/Mahaica), and Crabwood Creek, Region Six, (East Berbice/Corentyne).

According to him, to date 15 per cent of work at Vreed-en-Hoop has been completed, the Victoria/Grove area 20 per cent, and the Crabwood Creek initiative 10 per cent.

The Vergenoegen/Bonasika, Den Amstel/Fellowship initiative has 20 months duration, Crabwood Creek 15 months, and the Vreed-en-Hoop/ La Jalousie and Golden Grove/Victoria projects one year each.

The contracts involve the installation of 12 main head regulators, 30 secondary head regulators, 37 secondary check structures, 13 secondary tail regulators, 17 secondary culverts, one main tail regulator, 12 main outfall sluices, two secondary inverted siphons, 80 bridges and 112 kilometers of farm-to-market roads.

These are expected to increase farmers’ productivity as well as their economic status.

They are being supervised by BK International and Roopan Ramotar Investments and monitored by project staff as well as internal and external supervisors.

Other D&I works being pursued are the rehabilitation of pump stations in Regions Four and Six, rehabilitation of D&I control structures and access roads in Canals Number One and Two Polder, and D&I systems at Cane Grove, Black Bush Polder and Number 52-74 Villages in Corentyne, Berbice.

Altogether, these undertakings seek to raise rural income of farmers on the coastal plain through increasing efficiency of agricultural production.

Specifically, the aim is to rehabilitate D&I structures, organise farmers to operate and maintain these structures, and support rice research and agriculture diversification.

In addition, Flatts pointed out that the Lama Sluice in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) is some 63 per cent complete and very shortly work for the rehabilitation of the Victoria, Cane Grove and Black Bush Polder pump stations will be advertised.