Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud says that the project to improve the drainage capacity of the Cunha Sluice on the East Bank Demerara, is a priority and that attempts are being made to acquire overseas funding to see it come to fruition. According to him, the project will cost just over US$ 1.5 million.
The minister recently told this newspaper that the final design for the Cunha Canal is being transmitted to the World Bank. “The World Bank is working with the Department for International Development (DFID) on finding the resources for the project”, he said. However, if the DFID fails to provide resources central government will have to look at an early alternative, since “this project is a priority,” he said.
Earlier this year, Persaud had announced that the proposed work would help to significantly drain the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the Demerara River. He said that this canal, which drains through lands leased to Barama Company Ltd, is currently operating at 40 percent of its capacity.
At that time, Persaud said that all designs and technical specifications for execution of works had been completed and upon completion of this project, the 1.8 mile canal would discharge water into the Demerara River at an improved efficiency of approximately 500 cubic feet per second.
Following flooding in December, the Guyana Citizens’ Initiative (GCI) called for the re-opening of the sluice so as to aid in the drainage of the EDWC. At that time, the GCI had insisted that improving the Cunha sluice would be a better option than the proposed $3 billion Hope Relief Channel which would serve to drain the northern end of the EDWC.
In that release, the GCI said that engineering and hydrological expertise available suggested that in addition to the new projected East Coast outlet, it would be equally or even more important that the Cunha canal and sluice be reactivated urgently. The release stated that the plot of land where the Cunha Canal and sluice were located was sold to the Barama Company, which proceeded to fill the canal and turn the Cunha outfall into a log storage area.
The group opined that the rehabilitation work would immediately relieve the pressure on the northern section of the conservancy dam by immediately diverting a significant volume of water coming from the southern part of the conservancy towards the Demerara River. Consequently, this would prevent the release of water through the Maduni sluice into the Mahaica Creek except as a last resort.
The GCI was at the time re-emphasizing recommendations made since 2005, to improve the functioning of the Cunha canal at a higher level.
When Persaud was asked who had given permission for the Cunha outfall to be blocked up by Barama, he said that the Cunha canal was closed during the PNC’s time in office, when the company was sold the plot of land which it now occupies. “The sluice falls within the area sold to Barama in the pre-1992 period,” he said. Persaud opined that “the correct thing should have been to isolate the sluice and canal.”
However, according to the minister during the past 14 months he has successfully engaged the timber company and it has released the structure to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to facilitate the construction of the canal within its property.
Work on the project is expected to start as soon as funding is acquired.
