Hope Canal project still incomplete

The East Demerara Water Conservancy’s (EDWC) Hope Canal project which began in 201o under the previous administration is still to be completed.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, on Thursday at a post-cabinet press briefing disclosed that due to shoddy works done on the bridge component of the project, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is forced to complete repairs on a weekly basis.

“…the bridge which was commissioned, almost every week the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has to do repair works on that bridge because it is moving as the traffic moves, and so there’s always a gap between the bridge and that road and so that is a construction matter,” Harmon explained.

Additionally, the canal itself, the head regulator and the eight-door sluice are yet to be completed, Harmon added.

“There was the hope bypass which meant that water from the conservancy would have been filtered through a head filter operation at the commencement of the canal through the eight gate sluice and then the water goes into the Atlantic. As far as I’m aware the process has not been completed…there is also the issue of sea defense, beyond the sluice there were some issues there as to who is responsible for beyond the sluice going into the Atlantic,” the minister said.

Thes US$15M four-component Hope Canal project was expected to offer a solution to the annual flooding experienced in the Mahaica/Mahaicony Abary areas during the rainy periods. Though it has helped during the recent rainy periods, there was flooding in parts of region five.

The work at the canal was carried out by Guyanese engineers, with consultants on the job at the various sites, under the previous Administration.