$446 pump station commissioned at Adventure

In keeping with the government’s ongoing efforts to improve the country’s drainage capacity and provide residents and farmers with a reliable and effective drainage system, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha commissioned the Adventure Pump Station in Region Six on Saturday.

The pump station, constructed at a cost of $446 million, will benefit over 6,000 acres of residential and cultivation land, especially in Black Bush Polder and the Cookrite Savannah, which is often easily flooded.

It is outfitted with two 150 cusec pumps with the capacity to drain 126,000 gallons per minute.

While delivering remarks at the commissioning, Minister Mustapha noted that these types of investments that are being made by the government will significantly boost the agricultural sector by enhancing farmers’ productivity.

“In this catchment, there will be five pump stations. The investments we are making in these types of projects are tremendous because as a government, we recognise the importance of investment in the future of this country. When I became Minister, I said we would build a pump station to drain this area. This pump station will complement the drainage system in this area, especially in places like the Cookrite Savannah,” he explained.

Minister Mustapha also said that by the end of 2025, approximately 19 pump stations will be constructed across the country.

D. Sawh Mechanical Workshop constructed the pump station, which will provide enhanced drainage to hundreds of rice, cash crops, and livestock farmers.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, said these projects were important to building resilience as Guyana is vulnerable to climate change.

“Any economic area along the coast requires reliable drainage services because if there is an accumulation of water, it affects your business or your farming. Because Guyana is vulnerable to the effects of climate change and the extremities of prolonged dry periods and intense rainfall in a short period, there will be more investments like this so that we can build our resilience, improve our drainage system, and provide the services that will benefit everyone,” he noted.

The pumps were designed to operate when the tide is high so that drainage can be maintained in the area even if the sluice is closed.