The Guyana Citizens’ Initiative (GCI) has welcomed the news that the government is treating the rehabilitation of the Cunha sluice as a priority.

On May 27, this newspaper in an article captioned “Improving Cunha drainage capacity will cost US$1.5 million – Agri Minister”, quoted Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud as saying that improving the drainage capacity of the Cunha sluice is a priority for the government and that funding was being sought from the World Bank and the Department for International Development (DFID).

In a release, the GCI said “it welcomes the focus on the Demerara outlets, even as the preliminary feasibility study is being conducted on the proposed Hope Relief Canal.” The body further also called for attention to be paid to the Land of Canaan, five-door relief structure.  According to the group, the structure “has been operating for some time at no more than 30 percent of its capacity.“ The GCI said that if engineering opinion is correct, “the sub optimal performance at Land of Canaan is due to the obstruction of the conveyance of water from the north-eastern end of the conservancy to the south–western outlets”.

In this regard, “it is crucial that consideration be given to the dredging of the internal cross canals of the conservancy if the volume of water to be discharged at Land of Canaan, Cunha and Kofi is to reach effective levels and provide the necessary relief.”

The GCI, while saying that it was not seeking to preempt the findings of the Study of the Hope Canal, restated its conviction that “the superior and more cost effective solution lies in the efficient functioning of the Demerara outlets.”

Following flooding in December, the GCI called for the re-opening of the Cunha sluice so as to aid in the drainage of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC). At that time, the GCI had insisted that improving the Cunha sluice would be a better option than the proposed $3 billion Hope Relief Channel which would serve to drain the northern end of the EDWC.