CH&PA completes $13.5M drainage works in Westminster/Lust-en-Rust

Jan 29, 2017 News

Residents of several communities on West Bank Demerara (WBD), including Lust-en-Rust, Onderneeming, Westminster and Parfaite Harmonie, have begun to benefit from extensive drainage and irrigation works.
Already 98% of works have been completed on the main drainage canal and roadside drains in communities which were previously affected by flooding caused by rains.
The works stem from a commitment made by the Minister with responsibility for housing, Valerie Adams-Patterson, during an earlier visit to the areas.
The overall cost for the project which was executed by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and funded by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is $13.5M.
The remainder of the works consist primarily the removal of debris from some of the drains, and is expected to be fully completed within another week.
Late last year, Minister Adams-Patterson visited the areas and engaged residents to hear their concerns. At the time, the residents had related to the Minister their strong belief that the flooding was as a result of water being pumped in the direction of the communities, from a nearby rice field. This, however, proved not to be the case, following investigations by the CH&PA’s engineering team. The findings were that the flooding was as a result of poor drainage.
With regard to the Lust-en-Rust scheme, several persons who had begun construction late last year were forced to halt because of the flooding, while other residents were forced to delay construction. A recent visit to the Lust-en-Rust area revealed a spike in construction, given the relief from the water which had accumulated on the lands.
Residents welcomed the timeliness of the works executed in the communities which was facilitated by CH&PA, and related that they were not affected by the recent heavy downpours.
Several housing and agricultural communities had suffered immense losses and setbacks in 2016 as a result of the above average rainfall that was experienced.
The multimillion-dollar emergency work had begun in November last and was undertaken in two phases.

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