Construction of the $3.6 billion Hope Relief Canal is set to begin next month, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said on Friday.
Questioned during a press conference about the project, Persaud announced that it will be launched on October, 1. According to him, work will begin on the dam and the designs of the project will be unveiled shortly. In an effort to cut costs, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will be using its fleet of 14 excavators to undertake the earthworks component.
Persaud said too that a further $26 million has recently been approved to allow the ministry to complete its compensation exercise for the persons who would be affected by the project. The minister said that this would bring the full compensation for the exercise to $100 million. Several residents of the community have indicated to this newspaper that they have a number of concerns about the project.
The Hope Relief Canal has been plugged as a viable option for managing water in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) and avoid the need to drain water through the Maduni and Lama sluices.
In the past when the water has been drained through these sluices it has caused severe flooding in the Mahaica and Mahaicony areas Experienced engineers and even the Guyana Association of Professional Engineers (GAPE), however, have suggested that there may be cheaper and more efficient alternatives for draining the conservancy.
Last December, the consortium of consultants CEMCO/ SRK’N joint venture in association with Mott McDonald presented a draft report, which suggested that a High Level Foreshore Discharge consisting of a shallow outfall channel and a high crested weir (dam) would be the best option to drain water out of the EDWC.
After the release of the report, various agencies and members of the public were invited to evaluate the document.
The project went out to tender, in July. Persaud told this newspaper then that the final design of the channel had already been competed as well as the “setting out survey for Test Section.”
Proposals were invited from technical and financial proposals from “suitably qualified and experienced consultants” to provide consultancy services for the “provision of supervision services for the Construction of [the] East Demerara Water Conservancy Northern Relief Channel and Associated Drainage and Irrigation Canals at Hope/Dochfour, East Coast Demerara, Region No.4.”
In a second advertisement the NDIA invited bids for three projects. The first was for the operation, servicing and monitoring of NDIA excavators for the construction of the East Demerara Water Conservancy Northern Relief Channel at Hope/ Dochfour.
The second part of the project was for the “supply of the timber mats for the construction of the EDWC and associated drainage and irrigation canals.”
The third part of the project was for the supply of geotextile material for the Construction of the EDWC and the associated drainage.
Minister Robert Persaud said last evening that the contracts were yet to be awarded but that when this was done, the winner would be in charge of supervising the NDIA in the project.