Although the Hope Canal project is just over 10 per cent complete, new Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy says he is optimistic that the project will be finished by its 2013 deadline, even as he promised to address the concerns of residents and farmers located in the vicinity of the worksite.
Speaking about the two-year project recently, Ramsammy said, “When I say 10 per cent, let me clarify, it is 10 per cent of the actual canal that has been dug,” adding that this represents just over 10 per cent of the overall project. He said the design has already been completed as well as other important parts of the project.
“We hope that by December 2013, the canal itself will be completed and that by May of 2013, the other structures—the sluice on both ends linking this canal to the conservancy in case we need to flow water in and then the sluice to let water out into the ocean— would be completed,” he said. He said too that a pre-fabricated bridge will need to be placed on the highway so that water could pass under it. He also indicated that a bypass road had been built for the easy transport of equipment.
The canal, when completed, is expected to help drain the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the Atlantic Ocean. Currently when the water reaches a high level in the EDWC, water is drained through the Maduni and Lama sluices into the Mahaica and Mahaicony creeks resulting in overtopping and flooding in these areas. The project has attracted debate from engineering experts who said that there were cheaper and more effective alternatives available. The government, however, said that the $3.6 billion project has been subject to extensive technical studies.
Meanwhile, Ramsammy promised to work with the residents and farmers in the area to address some of their grievances. “I will work with them to make sure that there is as little inconvenience and discomfort as possible,” he said.
“The farmers have some grievances because now that this thing [the canal] is coming to where they are actually farming, there are some difficulties.” According to the minister, the dirt creates a mound; making it difficult for farmers to access the farms. He said too that the water source for the farmers has also been affected but the ministry is moving to address this problem.
In terms of compensation of farmers and residents who have had to relocate to facilitate the construction of the canal, Ramsammy said the process is still ongoing. “Apparently, they were some deeper in where the verification was done afterwards. NICIL (government holding company) is right now preparing to compensate them. I have approved payment for some of these farmers… once the farmers agree, because it can’t be an arbitrary thing,” the minister said. “Some of them were given land someplace else and they want to move there too,” he said, while adding that generally he felt that the farmers were satisfied with what was happening. Ramsammy said he expected more demands to be made by the farmers of his ministry in connection with this project.
Farmers and residents in the area Hope/Dochfour area have complained to this newspaper about the slow pace at which they are being refunded for land that was taken from them to facilitate construction of the canal.
