A detailed proposal consisting of the design and an engineer’s estimate for emergency works on the eroding Content, Mahaicony sea defence has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance, as the subject ministry seeks financing to execute the project.
Minister of Public Infra-structure, David Patterson, yesterday told Stabroek News that following a meeting with staff at his ministry on Wednesday, a proposal has been forwarded. On this note, he said that the Finance Ministry is looking at means to fund the project.
“They have received the proposal and are looking at means from which we can finance the works. They have a few avenues from which the finances can come from. We would have to re-prioritise and reallocate funds or go to the treasury,” Patterson explained.
The administration is currently in limbo five weeks after elections as no result has been declared. There are growing questions as to its authority to function and the status of ministers.
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Patterson said, is hoping to commence work as soon as possible. He explained that due to the present coronavirus (Covid-19) situation, the major quarries have halted their operations and sent employees home. It is now difficult to source the material in a timely manner.
“We already have two contractors at the site but we have to contact the quarries to see if they will be able to supply us the boulders that are needed for the project,” he said.
A portion of the earthen embankment that creates a sea defence at Content has been rapidly eroding and with above-normal high tides in effect, waves from the Atlantic have been overtopping the dam.
Patterson explained that the plan of the project is to construct a rip-rap similar to what was done between the breach at Dantzig and Fairfield.
The Minister also mentioned that he has reached out to the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority requesting that they construct an earthen dam around the community in a bid to limit any possible flooding.
In a visit on Wednesday, to the disintegrating sea defence during the afternoon high tide, Stabroek News observed the waters easily overtopping the weak defence which is in obvious need of urgent rehabilitation.
The mangrove fringe and other natural sea defences that were in place have been washed away leaving just a narrow dam, which is now exposed and rapidly eroding. At daily high tides, the murky waters of the Atlantic Ocean could be seen spilling over the earthen dam.
At the sea defence, several meters away from the breach stretching from Dantzig to Fairfield, another section of the earthen dam is being battered by waves and can break away at any time. This vulnerable portion puts many farmers and residents at risk even as they are trying to recover from the invasion of saltwater from the last flood in November, last year.
Workers from BK Inter-national, one of the contracted companies hired to execute emergency works on the breaches between Dantzig and Fairfield had diverted some materials towards the site where a new breach could possibly occur. It was noted that despite this action, the current stretch still remains extremely vulnerable and in urgent need of immediate works to repair the sea defence.
Troy Krishna, the engineer on site who is in charge, said that while they have tried to reinforce the sea defence, it warrants immediate attention since it is necessary to completely rehabilitate the eroding area.
New breaches develop easily, he said, before explaining that as one area is fixed, the water diverts and undermines other weak sections of the defence, thereby exposing it to rapid erosion.
Krishna, had told Stabroek News that his company cannot carry out any further works beyond what is stated in their contract. He explained that a new contract will have to be awarded by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to cover the stretch that is eroding.
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure in a statement last year had explain-ed that the Mahaicony sea defences have been impacted by the cyclic erosion of the foreshore and natural depletion of the mangrove forest, which have caused the breaches along the coast. “The shoreline between Fairfield and Dantzig has become exposed to intense wave impact causing significant overtopping to occur in a number of sections and some sections of the embankment were completely breached during the last spring tide period,” the statement added.
