THE Ministry of Works continues to advance its national development agenda with the award of several contracts for critical drainage and irrigation works in the three towns of Region Six.

These projects, worth a total of $150 million, will address internal drainage systems in Corriverton, Rose Hall and New Amsterdam to mitigate flooding at the household level.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill noted that contract amounts awarded to contractors vary depending on the scale of work required in each area.

“With the investments we are making to improve the road network, we should also complement this with drainage works. »

He pointed out that historically this was done every year in Georgetown because significant investments were made there in terms of infrastructure development, adding that “we are now doing this in every city, every village.”

According to Minister Edghill, the work that will be carried out will be guided by the engineers and the works clerk.

He said they were working to ensure assigned internal drains were properly cleaned. “(The) excavator bucket can’t fit in. We have to get a bucket, a shovel and we don’t just clean the roofs, we have to go under the bridge to get the stuff out so the water runs and we We need to be able to prevent flooding at the household level and we also need to ensure that roads are properly drained.

Additionally, he insisted that waste removed during cleaning be disposed of properly and not left on the shoulders of the road.

He also highlighted the employment aspect of the contracts offered to local residents, emphasizing that “you now have to employ people to work with you. You must rent your own truck and all of this is factored into the contract size and price.

Minister Edghill also announced that additional contracts would be awarded in the coming weeks. He said ongoing assessments to determine the extent of work needed are currently underway.

He urged contractors to ensure that all works are completed by the end of the year, strictly adhering to the work specifications to deliver high quality results.