Latest update December 21st, 2024 12:36 AM
Indian company in US$4M deal to provide pumps
Officials of the India-based, Surendra Engineering (at left) yesterday signing a deal with the Ministry of Agriculture to provide Guyana with 14 large capacity pumps. Third from right is Minister Robert Persaud.
Guyana has signed US$4M ($800M) agreement with India-based, Surendra Engineering Corporation Limited, for the supply of 14 large capacity drainage pumps.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday, the project under a special line of credit from the Indian Government, would be one of the largest boost to the country’s resources to help face the growing threat of flooding, to especially the coastlands.
Together with the assets of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, the country will now boast a capacity of almost 100 pumps, inclusive of both fixed and mobile.
According to Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, the contract is for the supply of eight fix pumps with the remaining six being mobile ones.
Surendra, which is based in Mumbai, India, has being working with GuySuCo for some time now, more recently the $2B-plus Enmore sugar packaging plant which is set to be commissioned on Monday.
According to Minister Robert Persaud, the pumps are critical to medium and long term plans to manage the effects of climate change which overtime has been threatening the country.
Each pump will have the capacity of discharging up to 200 cubic meters of water per second.
This is significant when the biggest pumps currently are of 150 cubic meters per second capacity, Persaud explained.
The investment, in “one fell swoop”, will significantly boost the ability of NDIA to rapidly deploy more pumps. The recent La Nina rains had highlighted some problems with mobile pumps on short supply, the official admitted.
The Ministry will be placing the information of the deal on its website, Persaud disclosed.
Surendra, in addition to supplying the pumps, will be providing technical support and training.
Guyana will be looking to also send its engineers to India for training, the Minister said.
Regarding the bidding process, Persaud disclosed that it was conducted in keeping with international standards.
However, the fact that the financing is from India, one of the stipulations included allowing Indian companies to also have an opportunity to bid.
The pumps will service an estimated 60,000 acres of lands and areas like Windsor Forest, Huntley, Black Bush Polder, Lima on the Essequibo Coast are among some of the areas being eyed to locate them.
With an erratic weather pattern, Guyana has been sorely tested in recent years with extremes. A drought ended early last year, only to have the rainy season, worsened by La Nina conditions, starting in August.
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