Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has refuted suggestions that the consultants contracted to survey the site for the Hope Canal – to relieve the pressure on the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) – discovered faults with the proposal for the site.
Engineer Malcolm Alli, in a letter published in the July 6 edition of this newspaper, said that based on information he received, the findings of the consultants have so far indicated that “there will be problems with the supply of water at the intake structure to ensure a 2000 cusecs supply, and that the outlet structure will have to be built far outside the line of the existing sea defence alignment, making construction literally impossible.” The cost will also be exorbitant, far exceeding the $3B quoted by President Bharrat Jagdeo. According to Alli, this disclosure was made in a recent meeting between the Minister and the consultants.
Persaud told this newspaper on Tuesday that there have been “ongoing discussions” between the consultants and his ministry, but pointed out that he was yet to be presented with a final report. “Technical work is still being conducted”, he said. The Minister said that the consultants are expected to provide him with a formal status report later this week.
The Minister underscored the importance of the project and said that he was prepared to have the consultants take their time so that they ensure that “they get it right.” He also said that whatever opinions he obtains locally, he also seeks to get further advice on these views from international bodies.
Persaud said that he “will not be baited” into committing to a time when the project will be completed. Initially, a two-year deadline had been given for the project, when the plan was first announced late last year by President Jagdeo.
A few weeks ago, when Persaud was asked whether the government was still looking to have the actual construction of the canal begin this year, he declined to give a definite answer but said that several processes needed to be completed before construction could begin.
According to him, the technical work requires that a number of models be done and from this, the location and the general outlook of the outfall will have to be confirmed. Persaud said that after this is completed, designs have to be done and afterwards the public procurement process needs to be undertaken. He said that when all of this was completed, construction will begin.
Several groups and experienced engineers have expressed concern about the proposed $3 billion canal which is being constructed to drain the northern part of the EDWC. They have argued that that there are cheaper and more efficient alternatives to draining the conservancy. Alli, himself, has been one of the more vocal critics. Minister Persaud has repeatedly said that the canal is being constructed on the best technical advice.
On March 19, Consultant Raymond Latchmansingh signed the contract valued at $56,416,415 for this project on behalf of Cemco/SRKN’gineering in association with the UK-based Mott MacDonald company. The firm was contracted to conduct various surveys in the area identified for the channel. These include the firm conducting hydrological and reservoir studies, hydraulic engineering and flood routing studies, hydrographic surveys, engineering and typographic surveys as well as geotechnical investigations, over a 16-week period.
Meanwhile, Persaud had said that efforts were moving ahead to have the relocation of persons residing in the proposed area for the canal and explained that an attractive compensation package had been reached with these persons. The Housing Ministry, Guyana Lands and Surveys and the Privatisation Unit were the entities charged with overseeing this exercise.
