The dredging of the Pomeroon River mouth, which had been scheduled to restart on October 5, has now commenced and a new timeline has been set for the project, according to Gaico Construction and General Services Inc’s Chief Executive Officer Komal Singh.
He told this newspaper that the company would issue a full statement during this week with all of the details.
Back in April, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) under the Ministry of Agriculture signed a $569,300,000 contract with Gaico Construction and General Services Inc for the dredging of the mouth of the Pomeroon River.
For years, farmers from villages along the Pomeroon River have been affected by inadequate drainage due to extreme siltation at the mouth of the river. The dredging, once completed, is expected to provide improved drainage. In addition, vessels will have better access to the river during both the low and high tides. The aim of the project is to open up opportunities for more commerce.
Singh, when contacted by Stabroek News last month, had explained that there was a delay in continuing the project owing to the fact that it had never been examined in detail so that its full complexity could be understood.
Having begun the dredging, he said, and cutting the channel using the backhoe operation, the company needed to mobilise to begin phase two, which would see the operation going deeper and wider. He explained that the river mouth had not been dredged for 20 years and a hydrographic survey had found that the river was over 16 to 18 feet deep, but at the mouth, there was heavy siltation.
Coconut husks which were dumped in the river, were said to be a major contributor to the siltation. According to the company, these degraded over time, adding to the siltation in the river mouth. This led to excess water backing up on the land, resulting in catastrophic floods for residents along the Pomeroon River.
Asked about the current scope of the work, Singh replied: “… Nothing has changed. We are just trying to finish up what we have to do.”
