Latest update December 17th, 2024 3:32 AM
$1.2B from World Bank loan to improve drainage between Liliendaal to Ogle
Kaieteur News – Having received US$26 million in additional financing from the World Bank in 2020 towards the ongoing Guyana Flood Risk Management Project, the Ministry of Agriculture would now be utilising $1.2 billion from the proceeds towards improving the drainage capacity on the East Coast of Demerara at Liliendaal and Ogle.
An artist impression of a new pump station which would be constructed at Liliendaal on the East Coast of Demerara as part of the Flood Risk Management Project.
The ministry on Monday signed its first set of projects for the year, a $1.2 billion contract for the rehabilitation of the Liliendaal and Ogle Drainage Catchment areas in Region Four. Kaieteur News understands that this project is part of the Ministry’s Flood Risk Management Project which has been ongoing since 2014.
According to an abstract from the World Bank page, the objective of the Flood Risk Management Project for Guyana is to reduce the risk of flooding in the low-lying areas of the East Demarara. The project has three components. (1) Priority works for flood risk reduction component includes: upgrading critical sections of the East Demerara Water Conservancy, or EDWC dams selected pursuant to the criteria set forth in the construction supervision and quality assurance plan; carrying out priority flood risk reduction investments in the East Coast Demerara drainage system selected pursuant to the criteria set forth in the construction supervision and quality assurance plan. (2) Institutional strengthening for flood risk reduction component will support flood modeling through the following activities: (i) hydraulic and hydrological modeling; (ii) specialized training in hydraulic and hydrological modelling, use of remote sensing tools, and data management; and (iii) information technology support for management of data. (3) Project management and implementation component will support reporting and auditing activities.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday during the contracts signing ceremony.
Before the signing of the contract, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha told the gathering yesterday that the World Bank project is a continuation of the Government’s partnership with the bank and other funding agencies to improve the drainage system in vulnerable areas. He noted that over the years the country has seen the change in climate and a number of areas being flooded, dating back to 2005 when the country was hit with one of the most devastating floods ever. “So as a government we are very cognizant of the fact that we have to improve our drainage system over the years and we have been doing that. We know for a fact both the President (Dr. Irfaan Ali and Vice President (Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo) been talking about the improvement in our drainage and irrigation system. I am happy to say over the last two and a half years, we have seen a number of pump stations, new pumps, canals, kokers, sluices and other areas that have been rehabilitated and as we are improving the drainage and irrigation aspect, the flood risk management aspect of our country we are seeing more and more development especially in the agriculture sector,” he explained yesterday.
The minister added that the World Bank funded project would aid significantly in the East Coast areas and would contribute to the easing of flooding there. The $1,288,805,122 contract was awarded to General Engineering Supplies and Services Inc. In addition to this project, the Ministry signed another contract worth $43,770,000 for supervision service for the project. This contract was awarded to CEMCO.
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