Minister Mustapha made the commitment on Saturday during an engagement with farmers in Yarrowkabra, where they had the opportunity to raise concerns about drainage and access to irrigation water.
He said a technical team will first assess the condition of the waterways and determine the work required to improve farmers’ access to water.
“Every single creek in this area here, I will ensure that we do a survey, and we have a preliminary excavation. I will start it within two weeks. I will set a machine here for the entire highway, and every creek will be excavated,” the minister said.
The technical team, comprising officials from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), is expected to return to the area within a week to conduct the assessment.
Minister Mustapha noted that the exercise will identify the creeks and tributaries that require cleaning.
According to the minister, the exercise will also assess the irrigation needs of farmers across the highway communities.
He acknowledged that the work will be undertaken progressively, given the number of waterways involved, but assured farmers that the Government is committed to improving the drainage and irrigation network.
Additionally, the agriculture minister noted that the intervention is to improve water availability for agricultural production, particularly amid ongoing dry conditions. (Department of Public Information)
