The 6 km long Bombay Canal on the boundary of the Tiger Creek and Calcutta districts has been physically cleaned thanks to a partnership between the Saramacca Commissionerate and the Ministry of LVV’s Agriculture Sub-directorate. The commissariat staff provided technical direction to the LVV staff. This style of operating, which is used in several locations throughout the Saramacca district, results in significant savings on the renting of excavators.
The Ministry of Public Works has calculated that maintaining canals with excavators costs SRD 150 per linear meter, while manual maintenance costs only SRD 35 per meter. This results in a saving of SRD 115 per meter for the state.
From now on, three employees will be permanently responsible for cleaning the canal all year round. The agricultural areas of Tijgerkreek-West and part of Calcutta drain into the Saramacca River via the Bombay Canal.
