Dear Editor,
I wish to respond to an article titled ‘Huge sums spent but conservancy management poor –engineers’ in the Stabroek News dated Sunday, March 20, which contains a number of inaccurate statements.
While the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) Board would consider constructive comments, it is wary of persons, like Mr Charles Sohan, who have been criticizing the operation, management and key works undertaken to improve conditions in the conservancy. Since climate change has begun to affect countries like Guyana, the government has been investing heavily in infrastructure such as the EDWC to secure the livelihood of its people. After the flood of 2004-2005, Guyana experienced comparable magnitude and intensity of rainfall as 2004-2005 but to date there has been no disastrous outcome because of enhanced drainage works undertaken at this key facility.
In fact, 10% of the EDWC overtopped in 2004-2005 at 58.85GD resulting from unprecedented high levels of rainfall. Presently, this level has been surpassed, but there is no overtopping of the conservancy which reflects an enhanced capacity. Some of the major works undertaken in the EDWC over the last few years are the implementation of a new relief outlet at Kofi along with the construction of CNC regulators, the dredging and cleaning of key waterways including those in the Kofi and Cunha channels, the rehabilitation of inlet and outfall channel at the Land of Canaan five-door sluice and construction of the access road to Flagstaff. Additional works included the construction of an intake structure at Enmore; the installation of a new door and lifting mechanism at the Kofi sluice; construction of scour protection at Kofi and 200 feet of revetment at Shanks, EDWC; construction of nine miles of internal waterway to supply the newly constructed Kofi relief; re-activation of 10.5 miles of Annandale water path and 6 miles of Scheme water path; excavating and cleaning 17 miles of the Lama creek that runs from the eastern embankment to the five door relief sluice at the western end; and the buttressing of embankments.
Over the last few years, improved drainage works, especially on the EDWC, undertaken by the NDIA have been commended by the World Bank in its Rapid Assessment Report on Flood Related Damage to Coastal Guyana in January 2009, since it stated that significant progress has been made in improving the discharge capacity in populated areas. In addition, the report stated that this was accomplished largely through the implementation of a concerted maintenance and rehabilitation programme.
It is indeed surprising that the former President of the Guyana Association of Professional Engineers (GAPE), Melvyn Sankies would make a statement saying that “not enough attention was paid to the conservancy in the 1990s” and that a “deliberate lack of maintenance in the ’90s led to flooding once more,” when the present government has always focused on improving the lives of its citizens. Mr Sankies and Mr Sohan have not acknowledged in their comments that climate change has been adversely affecting Guyana when there have been increased levels of heavy rainfall.
With regard to Mr Sohan’s statement that creeks that flow into the conservancy such as the Maduni should be cleared out so that water could flow quickly, it has to be said that this is totally incorrect since this creek is a tributary of the Mahaica Creek and is always at a lower level than the EDWC in flood conditions. The Maduni and Lama were constructed well over 30 years ago to drain the conservancy during excessively high levels of rainfall, and often since it would result in exacerbating levels of water in the upper reaches of the Mahaica affecting the livelihood of farmers and residents.
Mr Sohan also goes on to say that the EDWC should be excavated once or twice a year, but yet again he does not seem to be aware of the programme of works undertaken at the EDWC by the Ministry of Agriculture’s NDIA to increase the drainage capacity of the EDWC and improve the overall integrity of the conservancy. In fact, as part of the EDWC maintenance programme, the clearing of vegetation in the EDWC is done on a day to day basis to ensure the free flow of water at all main channels within the reservoir. At present, a significant number of excavators and pontoons are working in the conservancy to ensure the proper maintenance and operation of this facility. This has resulted in 42 miles of rehabilitated and new waterway being annually maintained. The internal water paths and creeks which were not functioning more than 25 years ago were also rehabilitated by the ministry’s NDIA, such as the Lama Creek, Annandale water path and Cunha supply channel. Also, the NDIA has undertaken the clearing of the conservancy western discharge at Land of Canaan.
Mr Sohan seems lost or deliberately not acknowledging the Conservancy Adaptation Project as one which will further study and develop long-term comprehensive drainage plans for Guyana’s most populated low costal region.
The US$3.8M World Bank Conservancy Adaptation Project with specific focus on the EDWC, will finance the development of the technical foundation for an enhanced master plan of future interventions within the EDWC and lowland drainage systems, mainly Region 4 coastal areas as well as specific upgrading works and operational improvements aimed at enhancing the flood control capacity of the EDWC. These works are expected to improve the ability of the government to manage water levels behind the EDWC during heavy rains by further improving internal flows in the EDWC.
Importantly, Mr Sohan correctly notes that “there was something good about the drainage system in the 1960s before the present administration,” whereby many key drainage outlets including reliefs for the EDWC through the sugar estate network were either abandoned or remodelled to somewhat less effective efficiency. However, this administration has resuscitated much of the abandoned infrastructure over the recent years. The Kofi is one of those outlets that had to be rehabilitated by the present administration as well as the Cunha, which was reopened in a limited way. It is also a known fact that the previous administration used the Lama and Maduni sluices when water levels in the conservancy reached threatening levels.
With regard to comments concerning the new EDWC northern relief channel at Hope-Dochfour, East Coast Demerara, this outlet will also provide relief to the Mahaica, Mahaicony and East Coast Demerara communities during periods of prolonged and heavy rainfall and would significantly boost the drainage capacity of the EDWC.
I also wish to say that Mr Sohan is not the authority to widely pronounce on EDWC developments, and his letters are often filled with inaccurate information. He should rather update himself with the development programmes of the EDWC.
Yours faithfully,
Samuel La Fleur
Secretary, EDWC Board
