– contractor
The engineering company overseeing the construction of the drainage sluice at De Willem, West Coast Demerara in Region 3, said that the project has been “substantially completed” and that it can be operated if necessary.
According to consultants at SRKN’gineering, “the construction of this sluice is substantially completed and it can be operated if required.” In a letter addressed to CEO of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Lionel Wordsworth, the consultants said that “the sluice was never required to be operated during the recent May-June period, since as predicted by the hydrometeorological department, the rains were below normal and the area experienced no significant flood conditions.” The letter appeared to be a response to a news item that appeared in yesterday Kaieteur News on what was described as a delay in the completion of the project.
The consultants further explained that the one remaining component of the project that needed to be completed is the construction of the “seaward groynes”. According to the consultants, these groynes require the sluice to be operated for some time so that “the outflow path is established which would assist in the determination of the best location for the groynes.” Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud yesterday explained that this is being done specifically to address the issue of sedimentation in the vicinity of the sluice. In the letter, the consultants said that immediately after the final design of the groynes has been completed, the construction will start. The Minister said yesterday at a press conference that activity will recommence on this particular aspect of project at the end of two months. Meanwhile, the SRKN’gineering consultants disclosed that work on the inlet timber revetment is continuing.
Persaud also disclosed that the contractor has not been fully paid for the project, and explained that contractors are paid according to the work that they complete. He explained that in this case, the contractor has received about 80 percent of his payment.
Meanwhile, Wordsworth said that there has been no cracking and sinking of the sluice, and suggested that the work that had been done so far was up to standard.
Minister Persaud pointed out that the current sluice was taking the place of an old sluice that had not worked for 20 years. He said that during a visit to the area, the concerns about the old non-functioning sluice had been raised with him and he was able to source budgetary allocations for the current structure that is being built.
