Government is hoping to begin construction of the much-debated Hope Relief Canal before the end of the year after having settled on a design for the channel.
According to Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, with the final design for the channel already completed and with the “setting out survey for Test Section completed”, the government is hoping that work will commence shortly. Two advertisements were placed in last Sunday’s editions of the daily newspapers inviting bids for the supervision of the project and the provision of some of the needed supplies.
In one advertisement, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), through the Agriculture Ministry, invited proposals for the provision of supervision services for the construction of the canal. The entity is inviting technical and financial proposals from “suitably qualified and experienced consultants” to provide consultancy services for the “provision of supervision services for the Construction of [the] East Demerara Water Con-servancy Northern Relief Channel and Associated Drainage and Irrigation Canals at Hope/Dochfour, East Coast Demerara, Region No.4”.
In a second advertisement the NDIA invited bids for three projects. The first is for the operation, servicing and monitoring of NDIA excavators for the construction of the East Demerara Water Conservancy Northern Relief Channel at Hope/Dochfour. The second part of the project is for the “supply of the timber mats for the construction of the EDWC and associated drainage and irrigation canals. “ The third part of the project is for the supply of geotextile material for the Construction of the EDWC and the associated drainage.
The Hope Relief Canal has been plugged as a viable option for managing water in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) via which the catastrophic impact of draining water through the Maduni and Lama sluices can be avoided. In the past when the water has been drained through these sluices it has caused severe flooding in the Mahaica and Mahaicony areas. The cost of the project has been tagged at $3.6 billion. Several experienced engineers and even the Guyana Association of Pro-fessional Engineers (GAPE), however, have suggested that there may be cheaper and more efficient alternatives for draining the conservancy.
Last December, the consortium of consultants CEMCO/ SRK’N joint venture in Association with Mott McDonald presented a draft report, which suggested that a High Level Foreshore Discharge consisting of a shallow outfall channel and a high crested weir (dam) would be the best option to drain water out of the EDWC. After the release of the report, various agencies and members of the public were invited to evaluate the document.
Persaud told this newspaper that the proposal provided by the consultants was then reviewed by external parties after which the go ahead was given. He, however, declined to say which external agency reviewed the project.
In an effort to cut costs, the NDIA will be using its fleet of 14 excavators to undertake the earthworks component, Persaud said. He explained that surveys are currently being conducted to establish the alignment of the channel, embankment and other elements within the way leave limit, after which the excavation works will commence. The entire project is being funded by the Guyana Government.
Persaud said that the entire cost of the project is not yet known and that after the contract is awarded, a total price tag will be determined. He, however, stressed that the government hoped to significantly reduce the cost by doing the earthworks itself.
In June, Agriculture Minister Persaud, while responding in writing to questions raised by PNCR-1G MP Lance Carberry on the canal, said that the government has chosen this option based on “sound technical advice.” Regarding the need for a feasibility study, the minister stated that “a feasibility study would stand only to re-confirm the deficiencies in the flood relief capacity of the EDWC” that were known for 60 years and confirmed by recent floods.
Persaud noted that previous studies had recommended an additional outlet to address the drainage problems of the conservancy, which is 60 km long with a catchment area of 582 km. The UNDAC 2005 study and the Conservancy Flood Management Modell-ing Report 2005, were singled out by Persaud. He also pointed to the Infrastructure Rehabilitation Plan prepared by Mott MacDonald in 2005, which recommended an additional 30-metre wide flood relief structure “to pass a 10,000-year flood” to improve the safety standards of the conservancy. Persaud also pointed to the hydrological and reservoir studies undertaken by CEMCO/ SRKN’gineering in association with Mott Mac Donald which determined that “the conservancy does not act as a level pool with observed cross conservancy hydraulic gradient often of the order 2ft to 3 ft”.
The minister informed the National Assembly that while the consultants had recommended the weir discharge they had also considered a deep foreshore discharge and a relief channel from Flagstaff to the Mahaica River.
An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) was submitted to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority by the consultancy firm, Persaud said, adding that the The EMP was produced by the sub consultant, Environmental Management Consultants (EMC).
