East Coast of Demerara residents can now expect faster relief from intermittent flood waters after heavy rainfall, following the construction of a $360M drainage pump station at Lusignan.
The critical facility will be utilised to pump flood waters from drainage canals to the Atlantic Ocean.
Clayton Belgrave, who resides in the neighbouring community of Good Hope and is a Councillor for the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), said the development is excellent.
“All of this forms part of the community development. The opening of this pump station is a really good thing for us in terms of drainage, it is really excellent. This will be a stepping stone for us in our community.”
Director of the Agriculture Sector Development Unit, George Jervis said the project represents a new approach to dealing with flood risk in the communities. One aimed at empowering residents and farmers rather than making them dependent on government’s handouts in times of heavy rainfall.
“We are looking at how we can save the crops (and) how to secure the livelihoods of residents so they are not dependent on a handout,” Jarvis said.
According to a release from the Department of Government information (DPI), the Lusignan Pump Station which can pump over 100 gallons of water per minute is part of government’s continued efforts to mitigate the effects of heavy rainfall on communities along the low-lying coast of Guyana. It is one of three located on the East Coast of Demerara, the others being at Enmore-Haslington and Buxton.
The project was financed through the World Bank’s International Development Agency and construction was done by General Engineering Services and Supplies. Supervisory services were conducted by the Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants (CEMCO)
The newly-installed drainage facility was commissioned April 19, by Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder. Also present were Chairwoman of the Regional Democratic Council Region Four, Genevieve Allen, officials of the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture and representatives of the IDB, Lusignan La Reconnaissance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and the European Union Guyana office.
