Government will soon commence the construction of an $8.5 billion drainage and irrigation structure in Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice), Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha announced on Wednesday during a meeting with farmers from several villages in Mahaicony Creek, who shared that their main concern within the area is drainage.
Aiming to put this concern to rest, the new multi-billion-dollar structure will be similar to the East Demerara Water Conservancy’s Northern Relief Channel, better known as Hope Canal.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha
Located at Hope/Dochfour, East Coast Demerara, Hope Canal is a multi-component channel that allows excess water from the EDWC to be drained into the Atlantic Ocean via an eight-door sluice, so as to avoid overflowing and possible flooding.
This channel was instrumental in preventing massive flooding along the ECD during the unprecedented May-June floods of 2021, and President Dr Irfaan Ali had previously declared that similar infrastructure would be constructed in other regions to curb devastating floods. In addition to Region Five, these include Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). This forms part of the $19.7 billion allocation within the 2023 National Budget towards improving drainage and irrigation systems within the country.
The $3.6 billion Hope Canal channel was constructed following the 2005 floods, when excessive rainfall compounded by a breach in the embankment had resulted in Regions Four and Five experiencing massive flooding that caused significant damage to agricultural and residential areas. After several delays, the channel became operational in 2016.
Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) farmers engaged in meeting with Minister Mustapha
Meanwhile, during Wednesday’s meeting, Minister Mustapha also told the farmers who requested mechanical assistance that a programme has to be developed to guide the works. This is to ensure all farmers in the area benefit.
Minister Mustapha was accompanied to this meeting with the farmers by Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal and Member of Parliament and Regional Representative Fizal Jafferally, among several other senior technical staff from the Agriculture Ministry.
