NDIA spends billions in capital, recurrent works to date

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has, to date, expended almost $6 billion targeting major capital and recurrent works countrywide to meet its 2020 mandate.

In an interview with DPI Thursday, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Fredrick Flatts said the agency has used $350 million for capital projects and anticipates that by year-end, some $1.16 billion will be exhausted.

From the $5.7 billion received to perform recurrent work, $5 billion has, to date, been spent, he explained.

Mr. Flatts said among the projects undertaken, the agency has successfully established seven pump stations located at Devonshire Castle and Hampton Court on the Essequibo Coast; Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara; Hope, East Coast Demerara; Mora Point in Mahaicony Creek and at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne.

Additionally, three mobile pumps were also procured: two were installed at South Ruimveldt and Sussex Street while the third will be installed at the Cowan Street Sluice (Cummings Canal Sluice) over the weekend. Those machines were purchased at a cost of US$3.6 million.

“There are also a number of other works that we undertook during the year, for example, the Triumph sluice, which is substantially complete and the Little Diamond sluice which is very much complete -we just had to do revetment works,” Mr. Flatts said.

As mandated, the NDIA focused heavily on upgrading and improving several drainage and irrigation services.

“A number of works were undertaken in this regard in the Pomeroon: Nunes canal, Friendship, Aberdeen, Siriki and other parts. We did these works because they were a lot of reports of inadequate drainage there, so we did some extensive works and we intend to continue.”

Further, Mr. Flatts said, major revetment works were executed at the Torani canal. This canal takes water from the Berbice River up to the Canje River.  The NDIA has also been helping the City Council to clear primary channels in Georgetown.

Earlier this year, the Authority completed a road at Onverwagt, Mahaica/Mahaicony/ Abary-Agricultural Development Authority area. A dam was also constructed at Coomacka, Linden to reduce sediment from accessing the Demerara River from bauxite areas.