Netherlands’ team commence project to improve Drainage in city

Georgetown is one step closer to having a proactive and holistic solution to the drainage system.

The Ministries of Agriculture and Public Infrastructure today hosted a commencement ceremony for Project Georgetown Drainage by the Dutch Risk Reduction Team.

This phase of the project which commenced on Monday will see the development of a new pilot system and design model by seven Dutch Engineering students looking to complete their Master’s Degrees. This model will then be used in two catchment areas: Liliendaal and South Ruimveldt.

According to Acting Chief Executive Officer of National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Fredrick Flatts noted that “local engineers would be working along with these engineers and our local engineers will be coming from the NDIA, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, GuySuCo (Guyana Sugar Corporation), M&CC (Mayor and City Council), UG (University of Guyana), the Central Housing and Planning Authority and they would be working with them, both in the office and the field”.

According to Mr Flatts, it is also anticipated that during this phase of the project, there would be significant sharing of technology which would in turn be extended to other local drainage agencies and organizations.

A student from the Kingdom of the Netherlands who is working along with the DRR team, Joost Remmers says the team is motivated to make something beautiful.

“Regarding our disciplines; together with the DRR team, based on the recommendations they made, we made plan to start working from our own disciplines, and the plan consists of three components; mainly the component of improving the molecular capacity…the second is a flood risk assessment…thirdly we have two students in structural engineering with us and they can form a link between these structures in the drainage system and the hydraulic characteristics of the system” Remmers outlined.

Last year the first team of engineers was in Guyana assessing the drainage needs of Georgetown and presented their recommendations in January of this year.