Following the announcement by President Bharrat  Jagdeo that  a canal would be dug to drain the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the Atlantic Ocean, the Guyana Citizens’ Initiative (GCI) is calling for the government to urgently rehabilitate and reactivate the Cunha canal and sluice  on the East Bank of Demerara.

Although the GCI welcomes the announcement by the President the body feels that the rehabilitation of the Cunha canal and sluice is important in   addressing the problem with the conservancy. According to a release from the GCI, engineering and hydrological expertise available to it suggests that in addition to the new projected East Coast outlet, it is equally if not more important that the Cunha canal and sluice be reactivated as a matter of urgency. Cunha is located south of the 5 door flood structure at Land of Canaan on the plot of land on the East Bank sold to the Barama Company. According to the release, Barama proceeded to fill the canal and turn the Cunha outfall into a log storage area.

The GCI is calling for the government to approach the Barama Company immediately to repossess and re-establish control over the outlet.

According to the GCI the rehabilitation of the Cunha canal and sluice will immediately divert a significant volume of water coming from the southern part of the Conservancy towards the Demerara River. This is expected to relieve the pressure on the Northern section of the Conservancy dam also avoiding the release of water through the Maduni sluice into the Mahaica Creek except as a last resort.