(GAPEvine Editorial)
The past few months have seen regular comments in the media as regards the proposed Hope relief canal to rid excess water from the Lama conservancy through the sea wall to the Atlantic Ocean. The experienced engineers have all indicated that the proposed solution re the Hope canal is a ‘no go.’
A meeting sponsored by the Guyana Citizens Initiative including the executive members of GAPE and other prominent organizations met recently to discuss the issue. What emerged was a study that is being undertaken by CEMCO and Mott Mc Donald (UK consultants) presently working on a model for this project. The model we were informed is based on the past rainfall data and frequency of discharge along with data predicted for a 10,000-year flood which is the probable maximum flood. The outcome of this study we understand will determine whether the proposed Hope canal will ever be built.
The surveys conducted revealed that there is a difference in elevation of the land from upstream to downstream of approximately 1.8m. It should be noted that the conservancy canal is silted up, with the capacity for dead storage of water having decreased, thus reducing storage. An option such as discharging into the Mahaica River was not considered, neither was the Abary since the argument was that the seven-door sluice was not functioning. As we pointed out in our January editorial, the MMA/ADA project was completed and functioning in 1983, and was efficiently managed for effective drainage and irrigation of the MMA region. But as stated in GAPEvine – January 2009, the flooding situation as it exists at present could be traced to lack of adequate and efficient maintenance of the MMA/ADA scheme dating back to the early nineties.
The other alternative for release of excess water was into the Demerara River and this too was not considered. The main point of discharging is the sluice at the Land of Canaan, the current rate of discharge being 800 cusec though it is designed for 2,000 cusecs. Here again work is needed to determine why the reduction in discharge.
Most of the issues outlined earlier were part of a commentary on one of the TV channels. To quote a paragraph, “Relieving this high level of water at Land of Canaan at the western end of the conservancy would be far more effective since the discharge canal would be a fraction of the length of that which would be required to bring it to the Atlantic to the north and it would be safer than removing the high Lama level through a new high level trench at Hope.”
A few other issues for the decision makers to consider should be : –
– EIA re the proposed site
– what were the comments of the EPA
– if maintenance was lacking at the MMA
will it
materialize for the mega canal.
There is no need to waste $3 billion when a solution is already available using the three discharge points and constructing another small canal breaking off from the conservancy into the Demerara River on the East Bank. (Reprinted from Gapevine – newsletter of the Guyana Association of Professional Engineers – April 2009)
