Japan To Help Guyana Improve Drainage Problems In City

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The government of Japan will be making resources available to improve the drainage system across Georgetown.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, told the Government Information News Agency (GINA) that the proposal from Japan will contribute to the reduction of flooding in the city.

“…It now brings in additional resources and skills from Japan…as part of that mechanism, we will put together the existing programs to which other bi-laterals may have been contributing,” Greenidge explained.

The execution of the project will see the Ministry of Agriculture, its National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), the Municipality and Central Georgetown being brought together, within a singular framework, in order to have a coherent plan to treat the problem of the city’s constant flooding.

“The physical work is perhaps the last stage, because they now have to devise this plan; draw up plans, then integrate them …before construction commences…that dimension is already on the way…in the case of the next 18 months, or so, the results of a number of these can be seen,” he added.

Throughout the years, Japan has made consistent contributions that assisted with Guyana’s development.

These included: US$9.5 million for the establishment of a new water treatment plant at Queenstown, Corriverton, Berbice in 2009; and a US$2.9 million grant aid project, which was utilised to import civil engineering equipment and electric power machinery in 2014.