Black Bush pump station to be completed by year-end

An $800 million irrigation pump station in Black Bush Polder, Region Six, is expected to be completed by the end of this year, the government said, as it seeks to improve water management and support rice cultivation.

The project, originally awarded to a contractor in 2021, faced delays due to poor performance. The Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), terminated the original contract and reassigned it to a new contractor, officials said.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha told farmers on Saturday that the pump station is now about 75–80% complete. “By December, we’ll have a pump for the frontlands, so Black Bush won’t have to share their water anywhere. You’ll have your own irrigation water, your own pump,” he said.

Mustapha said the project is part of a wider effort to modernise the agricultural sector and address perennial flooding in the area. “We are building infrastructure that will help farmers get better access and enjoy better conditions,” he said.

The pump station will supply irrigation water to the frontlands and includes four pumps capable of delivering 252,000 gallons per minute, the ministry said.