Guyana’s flood prevention efforts will soon be boosted as the 14 mobile and fixed water pumps that are being funded via a US$4 million line of credit (LOC) from the Indian Government are expected to arrive here in two weeks’ time.
Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa
The LOC agreement was signed back in February 2017 between Finance Minister Winston Jordan and an official from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India. The contract was subsequently awarded to India-based Apollo International Limited (AIL) which had submitted a US$3.6 million bid for the project. The deal was signed in August 2018 for the Indian company to procure and supply the drainage and irrigation equipment that will aid in local flood prevention efforts.
Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa, told Guyana Times on Friday that the pumps will arrive in Guyana sometime in mid-February.
“Drainage pumps for helping the people of Guyana when it is flooded [are] on the way. As we speak, they are en-route in the container,” he stated.
The project falls under the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and includes the design, supply, installation and commissioning of nine fixed and five mobile high-capacity pumps and associated structures and equipment.
The five mobile pumps will provide drainage services to Georgetown and its environs including La Penitence South, Cummings Canal, Church Street, Sussex Street and South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
These mobile drainage pumps will be assigned to various locations close to existing sluices in the city and its surrounding areas and will also be deployed to other areas to alleviate flooding, whenever necessary.
Meanwhile, residents in Hampton Court and Devonshire Castle in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Den Amstel in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Hope and Nooten Zuil in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Mora Point in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), and Rose Hall in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will benefit from the placement of eight fixed pumps within their communities which will help to restrict flooding there.
In addition to procuring and installing the 14 pumps, the agreement also catered for the provision of associated spares and institutional strengthening related to the use and maintenance of the equipment.
The acquisition of these pumps is expected to reduce the risks of flooding in low-lying areas and will bring relief to residents and farmers whose economic activities are usually disrupted by flooding caused by intensive rainfall and overtopping of the sea defence.
They will provide flood relief to approximately 25,000 acres of agricultural and residential lands.
This Dollar Credit Line is one of many such agreements between Guyana and India over the years. The Indian Government has been keen on supporting its Guyanese counterpart to achieve its socio-economic development goals.
