Comments on: The proposed Hope Canal is not the best option to drain the conservancy

By: Blackrattlesnake

Blackrattlesnake — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 11:19:04 +0000

He knows what he’s talking about….unfortunately….because he worked for Burnham….PPP will never listen or employ him to do the job.

By: caesar agustus

caesar agustus — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:08:01 +0000

It is the best option to drain the treasury.

By: SAM

SAM — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:32:30 +0000

MR. OWEN KHAN & ANDREW, IS THERE ANYWAY I CAN GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU.MR. KHAN. I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW ME.YOU CAN CALL MY BROTHER IN MIAMI@ 786-897-0758& HE WILL GIVE YOU MY E-MAIL ADDRESS.THANK YOU.

By: Owen Khan

Owen Khan — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:40:26 +0000

Malcolm, I am glad that you shed some light on this subject.
Sometimes stories have your side , my side, and the other side.
You never know until you open your mouth.
Nobody works for FREE; and no one has the right to ask you for free services.They have some nerve to ask you to sit in for free . I fully agree with your decision. I am happy that you are happily retired, and good luck to you in the future. I will still look out for your Blogs, as they are very true, and I do learn a lot from them.By the way I just turned 69 and I’m still learning.Hope to See you soon.
Best Regards
Owen

By: Malcolm

Malcolm — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:31:28 +0000

The minister would not listen to what I had to tell him when I was in Guyana earlier this year.
He sent me an e-mail asking that I sit on the NDIA Board to offer non paying advice which I refused.
Since 1992 when the PPP got into power I offer advice to help but the minister at the time refused and he said they had other local engineers to tackle the problems facing the country.
I am happily retired and do not need the work.

I wish the Govt. well.
Malcolm A

By: M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett

M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:28:43 +0000

ur rite… trouble’s there’s no law against armchair experts…

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:42:52 +0000

Owen:

Thanks for all your salient and timely comments.

Jan 13, I sent Malcolm’s letter, as above, to the Hon. Minister Persaud with my humble request, “with all due respect”, for him, to actively involve Malcolm, to help solve the D & I problems. Minister promptly replied, informing me, that he, made an Advisor offer, to Malcolm, one year ago, without success.

I concluded, that the offer was still open, so I began working to do my best to help facilitate an agreement.

Today, Jan 15, I was in touch with my “mover and shaker” Floridian contact, to inquire from Malcolm, what reasonable and fair compensation package, Malcolm Agib Alli is expecting, based on his 40+ years,irrigation skills and experiences.

I learnt, Malcolm is in Canada, and do hope his schedule can accommodate, his services to the Hon. Minister Robert Persaud, The Ministry, the Drainage & Irrigation team, and Guyanese.

Upon receiving Malcolm’s compensation information, I plan to immediately forward to the Hon. Minister, and the Prime Minister for their consideration, and hopefully an agreement can be secured.

We in the diaspora, do care, about Guyana.

Bloggers’ commentaries contine to pool ideas to help our homeland and Government.

A Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2009 to all.

By: Owen Khan

Owen Khan — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:56:43 +0000

Malcolm is a very knowledge and smart engineer in this particular field of flooding situation in Guyana. His comments are always direct and correct solutions to the problem. The government ought to seek his help and advise in this situation. They ought to negotiate and pay him WELL,
as a consultant. I advise the Minister to seek his help.Malcolm Agib Ali,s input can and will save the Government a lot of money, and bring a solution to the problem.If the President’s solution is taken, the problem will not be solved, and POOR GuYANA will loose a lot of GOOD MONEY. If the above statement by Andrew is correct, Malcolm you ought to reconsider your offer your services to the Ministry. You can bring a lot of happiness to the poor people of Guyana. As I recall your experience is more than FOUR DECADES plus..
Dear Hon. Mr Robert M Persaud, sometimes you have to pay well to get the job done , and my gut feelings tells me that you probably can get the job done with the correct amount of compensation to the right person or persons, and still save a lot of money “Than what your president is contemplating to spend ,for a solution that will not solve the problem. Let’s all work together to bring a solution to a crisis that needs immediate attention.Malcolm I know you , and I know and have 100% confidence that you can solve this problem, With the right amount of Compensation, please consider your previous decision.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:20:26 +0000

Hon. Minister Robert M. Persaud, told me, one year ago, he, offered Malcolm a position, as ADVISOR to the Ministry, without success.

I do not have access to Malcolm’s contact information.

So, on, January 13, I asked my contact in Florida, to do what he can, to convey the Hon. Minister’s offer, to Malcolm.

January 14, 7:38 EST, my contact in Florida, telephoned me and said ” Malcolm is not interested in the Minister’s offer.”

Hon. Minister, did reach out to this Guyanese in the diaspora, for his expertise, and was turned down.

A sad day for Guyanese in the diaspora, withholding their expertise, when so many persons are suffering with the floodings in our homeland.

I pray, that Malcolm, will reconsider, and help the Ministry with his irrigation experiences.

By: caesar agustus

caesar agustus — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:41:16 +0000

The proposed Hope canal is as hopeless as the conservancy itself.

By: quibian

quibian — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:36:59 +0000

lots a armchair experts here.

By: M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett

M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:33:33 +0000

I take it the Honorable Minister reads the newspapers as the rest of us do…

By: Patriot

Patriot — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:00:16 +0000

name the person/group that came up with this idea of the canal at Hope and state their qualification(s) and when and where is the feasability study that was done to make this determination.

By: STONEBLISS

STONEBLISS — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:28:36 +0000

The president, who is a self proclaimed expert on everything, will not listen and since he hates to be criticized will continue full speed ahead with even greater speed.

By: Sarkar

Sarkar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:06:23 +0000

As I said previously, NO THOUGHT WAS PUT INTO this announcement. He just opened his mouth and said that a canal has to be dug to help with the draining.

By: Rupman

Rupman — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:42:23 +0000

True True Mr Xiu Quan. My apologies on this oversight. But still, an attachment for the minister’s comment might have been useful.

By: Sarkar

Sarkar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:40:55 +0000

You seem to be very informed here. Can I ask where you were all this time? We needed such inputs!!! Thank you.

By: Sarkar

Sarkar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:33:57 +0000

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!!!

By: GUYFLAG

GUYFLAG — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:07:45 +0000

I think that any person with some idea of engineering, should be alarmed at the president making such a ” bold “, and what would seem hasty pronouncement on a costly engineeriring project, before laying out to the people, sound basic and technical evidence for such an “adventure”… i do have grave doubts that tecnicaly and practicaly the proposed canal would be worth the effort and expenditure… but more than that I feel it was an insult to profesionals and other interested Guyanese for the president to make the announcement as if it is a ‘done deal”.. when so much is at stake for the guyanese Taxpayer…. this is the sort of thing which the Opposition should jump on in a manner that represents the National interest, and show their ability to expose the Govt. on substantive issues… not wait until its over then applaud” the failure… the President may be privy to facts which we are not familiar with… he may even be right in terms of the feasiblity of the project… but the project is too important nationaly for him to be demanding a blank cheque to go ahead… all the Facts must be laid on the table for perusal of the stakeholders before any such decision is made to go ahead… Over to you AFC / PNC…Its for you to examine, and highlight if necessary the merits or otherwise of the project, and enlighten the populace if there is a danger… Iam not advocating opposition for oppos. sake.however..

By: WRodney

WRodney — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:29:57 +0000

Only in Guyana !!!2!! and maybe Rome, Keep on playing the FIDDLE PPP(Commies) and PNC(Dictatorship)

By: M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett

M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:22:33 +0000

Mr. Alli’s very informative letter DOES appear in the hard copy newspapers on the streets. Our blogs don’t. Smell the coffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Rupman.

By: GT787

GT787 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:41:36 +0000

Congratulations on a well thought out solution; l may wish to add that during the 05 flood l discussed this very idea with one of the engineers from the Task Force.

l posited that the main problem facing the EDWC was the decanting of water, l suggested that a coffer dam be built during the dry season at Land of Canaan and two 4 ft diameter valves be installed at the base of each wall to release water more efficiently into the Demerara River, due to natural hydraulics instead of just spilling over. Since the LOC structure is basically a spillway with water flowing over the wall at 52 GD where by most sluices / kokers in the country are 47 or 45 GD, Tony Vieira even mentioned one being 43 GD.

Alternatively efforts could be made to covert two of the five doors at LOC into conventional sluices that would effectively take the place of the Maduni and Lama sluices and spare the farmers in the three creeks much heartache. The Task Force Engineer confirmed that the Kofi outlet with a fairly small aperture drains more water from the EDWC in six hours than the 5 door sluice in twenty four, with this approach there will be no siltation to worry about as would be the case of the new northern outlet. If, a northern outlet is absolutely necessary it should be via the No. 3 Canal at Mocha.

Meanwhile, l recalled that during the 96-97 floods a retired EDWC worker stated that the Cunha outlet with a 14 feet door and 10 feet draft was used to relief the conservancy during the 60’s. This outlet should be reactivated at all cost instead of being used as a log storage area by Barama (better still Barama can install revetment or concrete the outfall channel if they wis to retain the use of the area.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:37:32 +0000

What I find very much lacking are professionals being given the opportunity to represent their various disiplines in Guyana. The President, a political and accounting student, should never be the one to address the engineering problems, which relates to the flooding. This letter proves it. Who is the chief engineer or engineering consultant the government is listening to?

Since 1970 I have noticed the unwillingness of our politicians to embrace our professionals as if they are afraid that too much knowledge will destroy or contaminate the ideology. There were many cases where Mr. Burnham did not listen to advise given by engineers and qualified professionals. That’s why the exodus. The folly persists.

By: Rupman

Rupman — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:24:49 +0000

One only hopes that SN publishes this blog as an article/letter in its daily newspapers with an attachment – “We are sending this letter to the Minister of Agriculture for any comments he wishes to make”.

Mr Xiu Quan does not agree on this methodology but somehow I feel this article would be better served with such a publication.