Residents in the vicinity of the controversial Pouderoyen Pump Station project on the West Bank of Demerara are being affected by flooding owing to tubes installed by the contractor to keep excess water out of the construction site.
Stabroek News visited the area on Saturday and noticed that there had been some additional work done on the project. In addition to the tubes, the pathway to the pump station has been paved with stone.
One resident who was spotted by the koker told Stabroek News that he was hoping that the contactor “speeds up the work on the pump station”, as the installed construction tubes have caused floodwaters from the heavy rains to enter his backyard.
According to the resident, while he understands that works are ongoing, the pace must be intensified as he and a few other villagers who live next to the sea dam and the koker were severely affected by flooding which was taking a while to recede.
The contract for the Pouderoyen Pump Station, for $981 million, was awarded to Spectre Construction last year. It has not built a pump station before. The company has had much smaller government contracts before and these include the construction of a sidewalk for the University of Guyana and a two-storey building in the Eccles Health Centre compound. Both were awarded in 2022. Under these circumstances it should not have qualified to be considered for this project.
Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul had written to the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) on October 9 last year to request an investigation into the awarding of the contract for the Pouderoyen Pump Station. In addition, former auditor general Anand Goolsarran had pointed out that there had been no public mention of the Pouderoyen Pump Station, and to whom it was awarded. It was only after questions were raised in the media that it was revealed that Spectre had secured the project.
