10% of Hope Canal dug; Ramsammy sees Dec 2013 completion

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