A dam at Burke’s Estate was recently expanded to provide 10 times more water for farmers in the area.
Gregory Bailey, the Acting Director of Agriculture said work on the water catchment began last month.
“The rough capacity of the dam initially was just over 3 million gallons by our estimation and at the end of the expansion we would have been able to capture 30 million at least in capacity”, Bailey told state media.
“Food security and water security go hand in hand there’s a direct relation so to the extent that we can secure water for irrigation purposes, particularly in the dry season, is the extent to which we can improve on our food security”, he added.
The expansion project is reportedly a public/private partnership that started after farmers volunteered to invest in water security.
Bailey said about five farmers will be able to harvest water from the dam in the first instance.
“The main infrastructure is already in so even if the rain comes now, we’re in a position to capture the water”, Bailey said.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
How about more desalination plants around the country at least every parish.
Makes no sense to be able to hold 30 millions gallons when we don’t have 30 million gallons …
Let’s get water first and then figure out a place to store it.
Are you going to invest in expanding to have an empty dam? With no water ?
@ Ms mention
Stupid question. The rains will and do come. You build a dam after the rains to hold what? You build a dam before it rains to catch the water.
@ DC … Why have Antiguans not been able to get running water for 5 straight days… Not a stupid question … not having running water in Antigua IS A BIG PROBLEM.
We cannot depend on ‘rain to come’ as you say.
Antigua is a dry country. We need more DESALINATION PLANTS to provide fresh water to the country … so no not a stupid question… .. ask anyone do we need fresh water by way or more desalination plants OR do we need a dam to put in 30 million gallons of water knowing we will never have 30 million gallons even if we according to you ‘wait for rain to come’.
The dam water is for farmers.
Either way! Fresh water is needed in the country .. tackle that problem first we have no water for consumption or for farmers to put 30million gallons of it ANYWHERE..
Nuff RASpect, to MP Samantha Marshall,,,she’s doing a fantastic job, bringing water, to the tarming community!
Comments are closed.