– Three handed to NDIA for Flood Risk Management Project
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth today stressed the importance of keeping Guyanese safe from the growing effects of climate change. In this regard, both officials lauded the arrival of three amphibious excavators that will be used to further build the East Demerara Conservancy Dam.
The three pieces of equipment were acquired for a whopping $438.6M which includes a package of service and maintenance for four years.
At a simple ceremony at the conservancy this afternoon, those in attendance were reminded that the flood risk management project was the brainchild of former President Bharrat Jagdeo following the disastrous floods of 2005.
Several studies were conducted in the aftermath of those events. One of the recommendations out of those studies was to heighten the conservancy dam, a project that started several years ago. Im the new year, the three pieces of equipment will be used to reconstruct the north eastern dam of the East Demerara Water Conservancy.
An estimated 9km of dams will be constructed during this phase to add to 4km previously completed and 5km that is in the process of construction.
Those sections were completed using ordinary excavators that had to be mounted on pontoons which added to the overall construction time. Use of the newly acquired pieces of equipment will be result in much more efficiency especially as it relates to time.
