Dear Editor,
I refer to the President’s recent announcement to construct the Hope Canal to prevent water being released from the EDWC to the Mahaica Creek that causes flooding to the residents.
Extensive studies in the ’60s were carried out by the Hydraulics Division to determine the best location to drain the EDWC and it was determined that the Land of Canaan Sluice (LOC) was the best location and option since an Atlantic relief would likely be subject to some tidal lock which be undesirable for a spillway operation, ie the discharge sluice at the sea wall end could only work on a tidal basis some 6 hours a day discharging a pittance daily.
The LOC, built in the ’60s, is a 5-door high sill sluice, and can discharge 2000 cusecs working on a 24-hour basis independent of the tide, and was built specially to drain the EDWC. Since 1970 the conservancy has not been maintained, and today has reached a critical stage of siltation and vegetation inhibiting its storage capacity.
The proposed works related to the Hope Canal would be extensive. The canal has to be a high level canal with some 80 ft bed width, some 10 miles long − not 6 miles according to the President – and would require the construction of 2 large sluices at the EDWC and through the existing sea defences, several bridges over the canal, a bridge at the roadway, access roads, etc. The canal and outlet has to be designed to discharge at least 2000 cusecs.
I doubt very much whether the inlet sluice at the conservancy can provide 2000 cusecs from the EDWC at the moment, due to its silted state. Extensive modelling and dredging works have to be carried out to obtain the 2000 cusecs required from the EDWC.
The cost in my opinion would far exceed the $3B quoted by the President. I doubt whether Guyana has the local engineering expertise to design and construct such a project.
I would suggest the government as a cheaper alternative improve the capacity of the LOC which is only operating around 40% efficiency, by redesigning and re-constructing the inlet channel and canal inlet and also awaiting the studies and modelling works to be undertaken shortly for the EDWC (reference an article in GC, 11.1.09) and then and carry out the works recommended by the consultants if feasible.
The release of water from the EDWC via the Maduni and Lama sluices cannot cause the flooding in the Mahaicony/Abary areas, only in the Mahaica area.
I started the MMA scheme and designed and supervised the construction of the 7-door Abary Control Sluice. Information was passed on to the authority that the sluice must release a certain amount of water daily so as to keep the Abary River alive. This was how the scheme was designed. Water to this date some 30 years later still has not been released, resulting in the Abary becoming so silted for some 45 miles from the conservancy to its mouth, that it would be impossible to dredge it to bring it back alive. The sluice also appears to be non functional.
Over the last few years the writer wrote several letters about this problem only to be responded to by the authority that the river was alive and free flowing with water.
The bottom line is the Abary River cannot carry its share of the drainage load and hence the water has nowhere to go but to the Mahaicony, resulting in constant flooding whenever there is heavy rainfall.
Continuation of the scheme as proposed by the President would not prevent this from happening, and could make matters worse by silting the Mahaicony as well if the second stage is similarly maintained as the first.
Yours faithfully,
Malcolm Alli
I hope someone is listening.
What Mr. Alli says makes so much sense. Only hope that he is heeded this time, instead of being told that the earth is flat.
He knows what he’s talking about….unfortunately….because he worked for Burnham….PPP will never listen or employ him to do the job.
Mr. Alli is obviously the expert, but this is what I have also concluded all along. The source of the problem is not the heavy rains, it is the silting of the canals. Arrest the silting, remove the silt from the canals, then this problem can be controlled.
Joe.
Mr Alli- I have a feeling that you wasting your breath and that these marxists will continue with another ill conceived scheme.Then the blame game will continue. Because I can’t ever see a progressive govt in Guyana I can only conclude that the salvation of Guyanese lies in migration to more progressive climes. Whilst holidaying in the States recently I met a fellow GT man in a flea market in Brooklyn. I recognised the homeboy from his accent.During our discussion he told me that he was a farmer from the Essequibo but had migrated because he could not see any development in his region. How many more farmers have done the same?
What.. stop the $3Bn project.. what gon happen to all we kickbacks!!!
See where this is going?
Mr. Alli is undoubtedly an authority on issues relating to MMA and the apparent perpetual flooding in that region resulting from stress to the EDWC.
I hope this impetuous(?) pronouncement by the President is only a political ploy to alleviate the tremendous trauma of the residents, particularly farmers of this food bearing region. I hope also fools do not rush in where wise men hesitate to go. In other words, I believe the Hope Canal issue should be subject to a greater debate (by experts) before the contract is handed out.
Simple logic tells us that the Hope Canal will be dug from a higher elevation to the lower elevation of the sea wall, and the Canal will be closed by a sluice at high tide (at which end?), thus exposing Georgetown and its environs (if closed at the lower end)to possible flooding in the event of overtopping of the Canal or failure to maintain the Canal, or breakdown of pumps – caused by possible stealing of transformers. Simple logic tells us that gravitational drainage is preferable to pump-operated drainage. Hence, why not heed the selfless advice of the expert and go with the Land of Canaan Canal? After all, all that is needed is to improve the existing capacity and utility of the LOC from its current 40 percent to a more efficient scale? The LOC works on gravitational principle and would be working twice, possible thrice longer per day that the Hope Canal, and would not require pumps.
Come on PPP, not because we have a flat tyre we should buy a new cyar.
The contract was already handed out. How do you think he came up with that $ figure? Someone told him ‘I can dig a canal for you for $3B and he said OK!!!! No planning necessary!!!
i am familiar with mmc,mr ali hit it on the nail.a copy of this letter should be sent to the president and approiate ministers.
I am extremely glad that Mr. Alli work this letter .
It supports all my points of removing silt from the MMA and EDWC. This I learnt from farmers in the MMA around 7 years ago who saw this coming—but despite pleas to the PPP and their leaders who scoff at the idea that removing silt especially from the EDWC. At one stage I taught they had a farm in the EDWC.
President Jagdeo will get his way the same way to build the Hope Canal the same way he got his way to build a bridge at the mouth of the Berbice River.
Sad, more sad —but it will continue.
VERY WELL SAID MALCOME.I HOPE YOU WILL BE CALLED TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEMS OF FLOODINGS.
Mr. Ali makes too much sense to be taken seriously by the PPP. Dem dackters know it all. Dem even know how to perpetuate flooding.