New Andrews pump station to drain 8,000 acres of rice lands

A new pump station being constructed at Plantation Andrews, Region Two (Pomeroon – Supenaam) will significantly improve drainage for some 8,000 acres of rice lands on the Essequibo Coast.

Three pumps are being set up alongside a recently installed stainless steel sluice door at the site, Regional Vice-Chairman, Humace Odit told the News Room during a recent interview.

“Because of the high volume of water coming into this particular area, this is where there is need for the pumps to be installed, the sluice by itself cannot accommodate the flow of that high volume of water,” Odit said.

The pump station will benefit communities from Marias Delight to Westbury as well as Lima Sands. It will also cater for parts of Devonshire Castle, Walton Hall and Paradise, Odit said.

The contract for the project was awarded to H Nauth and Sons at a cost of $532 million by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in September last year.

Providing an update on the works ongoing at the site, project foreman Hafraz Khan said the project is approximately 45 per cent complete with the driving of timber pile and sheet pile currently ongoing.

The remaining works include the casting of the base and walls as well as the construction of the pumphouse.

Works on the project commenced in January 2022 and was supposed to be completed in September 2022, however, due to inclement weather it will not meet the deadline.

Khan assured that all materials are on site, and once the weather permits the project will be completed by year-end.