– Persaud calls for out-of-touch critics to get in touch with reality
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, at a press conference yesterday, disclosed that works on the Hope Canal are expected to recommence soon, once the weather allows. “Works are expected to resume before the end of the month,” he assured.
Persaud charged that the many critics and naysayers should get in touch with reality and see the need for the Hope Canal project, given the fact that once completed the use of the Maduni and Lama sluices will be minimized.
He explained that once this happens, residents in the Mahaica and Mahaicony areas will not be under pressure when the excess water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) has to be drained off.
“It was a painful decision to give the go ahead for the Lama and Maduni sluices to be opened,” he said.
The new northern relief channel at Hope/Dochfour on the East Coast Demerara, is expected to boost the drainage capacity of the EDWC and also provide relief to the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary and East Coast Demerara communities during periods of prolonged and heavy rainfall, as is currently being experienced.

Improved Capacity
The minister noted that the drainage and irrigation capacity has improved from 2005 to now, given that the weather conditions experienced to date, which are much worse than in 2005, were capable of turning into a “catastrophic” situation.
The fact that Guyana was able to stave off any disaster indicates that improvements in infrastructure and general investments in drainage and irrigation have paid off.
According to him, works done on the EDWC to raise the embankments have seen the conservancy being able to hold much more water than before.
He explained that before these works were done, the conservancy held less water and when there was excess water, the sluices, at different release points, had to be opened for longer periods.
Now, the conservancy, a huge reservoir, holds over 100 billion gallons of water, with a capacity of 59 Georgetown Datum (GD). On average, its levels range between 50GD and 57GD.   
However, Persaud acknowledged that there is more to be done, considering that Guyana’s drainage and irrigation capacity caters for only 1.5 inches of rainfall, at a time when the country is seeing as much as eight inches of rainfall.
The excessive rainfall, caused by La Nina phenomenon, is often times compounded by other factors, in particular the higher than usual spring tides.
Persaud stressed that the Hope Canal will increase the capacity of the country’s drainage and irrigation systems.