…will take over City Hall’s pumps and rehabilitateThis youth wades through flood waters in his yard at Foulis, EnmorePresident Bharrat Jagdeo,Jerseys NFL Cheap, mere hours after his return from a three-country tour yesterday, visited the pump station at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara and has promised to visit some other flood affected areas today.According to the Head of State, this year much more money has been expended on drainage than in the past, “and from that spending we have got much more in terms of work.”He posited that this was because now “we have our own capacity…we are doing the same work for half the price using our own equipment,” noting that in the past the dredging works would have had to be contracted out.He added also that another benefit of having one’s own capacity was the mobility in that the equipment could be easily moved around.The president did note, however, that were the situation to become worse then he would release emergency funds to tackle the situation. “Even now reviewing the budget we may be able to allocate some more money for 2009.”Almost $2B has been spent on National Drainage and Irrigation works countrywide as reports of high indication of an active rainy season continues to unfold.Meteorological reports recently stated that this rainy season can experience at least four to five inches of rainfall within any given day with a 50 to 60 percent probability of above normal downpours.Speaking with the media recently, Chief Executive Officer, Lionel Wordsworth,Cheap Jerseys China, said that a total of $1.7B has been spent nationwide on drainage and irrigation works.He noted that the NDIA has a fleet of 23 portable pumps and in preparations for the rainy season these have been deployed to strategic locations.Six of these have been installed in Region two with one in Region Three.In Region Four,Jerseys Cheap NFL, there are 39 fixed pumps but an additional 11 have been stationed around the city and East Coast of Demerara to support the existing structures.Two additional pumps,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, he said, will complement the three fixed pumps in Region Five.According to President Jagdeo, yesterday, it was as a result of the significant investment over time in the drainage system that the administration was able to manage to a large extent the accumulated water.He noted that nevertheless some people would experience some discomfort if the rains persist, pointing to areas such as Dazzell Housing Scheme, Paradise, Bachelor’s Adventure, Bee Hive, and Lusignan, among others.TAKE OVER CITY HALL PUMPSPresident Jagdeo also noted that the administration would be assuming responsibility for the pumps operated by City Hall at Liliendaal and Kitty,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, given that they were being neglected.He said that several hundreds of million dollars will have to be spent rehabilitating these pumps but that it must be done given that a substantial part of the city depends on the pumps.“I don’t like taking over things and running them but they have neglected these pumps so much that it is time that we get involved…We have been helping all along to keep these pumps alive,China Jerseys Cheap,” but noted that the pumps were in dire need of rehabilitation.He added also that some pumps were given to City Hall and he hoped that they were deployed in south Georgetown and operable given that the country generally depends on gravity flow and the southern section of Georgetown generally takes a very long time to be adequately drained.According to the President, the situation will also have to be assessed along the banks of the Demerara River given that there are a number of sluices and pumps along the river.The President noted that whilst he was in Cuba, Poland and Brazil he was consistently informed of the situation in Guyana.He said that given the nature of the drainage situation in Guyana, periods when the rains cease will have to be used to drain as much water as possible.The capacity of the system could only take two inches of water hence there would be additional capacity.According to President Jagdeo, the drainage system in Guyana is currently not in its best shape, positing that one of the reasons was that of negligence on the part of various officials as well as the blockage of many canals, as well as indiscriminate dumping of articles in canals which is contributing to some of the flooding.He added that the projections as of yesterday indicate that there will be a lot of rain this season.