Dear Editor,
I refer to the Kaieteur News Editorial dated March 6, 2012 re the proposed Canje Project as well as an earlier letter by Mr. Tony Vieira questioning the availability of water for such a large project and to state that water can be obtained by building a reservoir in the upper reaches as well as water can also be supplemented from the Corentyne River for irrigation purposes.
Drainage can also be obtained via the Corentyne River. What is important is that water has to be released from the reservoir sluice at certain intervals to keep the Canje Creek alive.
The project is similar to the MMA Project where the upper reaches were dammed and drainage obtained via the concrete weir at Dageraad. Failure to release water from the 7 Door Sluice into the Abary River has resulted in its premature death. Likewise, the same can happen to the Canje Creek if water is not released to keep it alive.
This area has the best land in Guyana. Using land development costs 30 years ago, I estimate the cost for development would be around US$0.5B, a sizeable sum indeed.
The Government of Suriname may object to using water from the Corentyne River since they are claiming the whole of this river up to the high water mark as their property.
What is of concern is that Guyana does not have the quality of engineers capable of reviewing the Study’s proposals that will be put forward by the Developers and also lacks the quality of workers necessary to carry out the construction.
The government should publish the contents of the deal the ex president signed with the Trinidadian Developers.
Yours faithfully,
M. Alli
