People who received house lots at the Buxton/St Joseph Housing Schemes in Region Two will soon be able to access their land, thanks to an ambitious new drainage and irrigation project.
The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has already finalised a comprehensive drainage plan for the area. It will be implemented in two phases to improve water management and reduce flooding risks.
The drainage project is expected to commence in two weeks, with the first phase involving the construction of approximately 0.7 kilometres of drainage channels and related structures to facilitate proper discharge from the housing scheme into existing ponds.
The project, valued at $44.2 million, has been awarded to Triple A General Contracting Services.
The second phase of work aims to strengthen irrigation capacity in the area. It includes the installation of an 80-cusec mobile pump, which is designed to discharge water from the drainage channel into the Pomeroon River.
Minister of Housing Collin Croal said during a visit last Friday that the pump will arrive and be installed by the end of February, and a contract for it has already been signed.
When both phases are completed, residents can expect significant improvements.
“We’re looking for no later than three months from today to be able to permanently address the waterlogging, the flooding, or the accumulation of water that is causing flooding,” the minister stated.