THE June 2013 deadline for the completion of the Hope Canal Project, on the East Coast of Demerara, has been extended to August 31, Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has disclosed.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, last Thursday in his Regent Road, Georgetown office, he said the original March date was extended, once again, since it is very unlikely that the job can be completed by June.
The US$15M contract, which is expected to solve the flooding experienced in the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary areas during rainy periods, has four components.
They are the more than 10 kilometres channel from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), a bridge across the public road, a conservancy head regulator with three gates and sluice at the canal’s Atlantic end, which will have eight gates.
The waterway is being excavated by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in the Agriculture Ministry, while BK International, DIPCON Engineering and Courtney Benn Contracting Services are contracted for the other three parts.
Ramsammy emphasised that the digging by NDIA is mostly finished but he advised that this will be the last aspect to be done as its end is dependent on the other aspects.
“We can’t take it all the way to the conservancy until we have the head regulator completed. We can’t take it across the highway until the bridge is done and we can’t take it to the sea until the sluice is done. So, even though we are ahead of schedule in digging the canal, we have to now wait. We’ve done all we can until the other three components are finished,” he explained.

NOT LIKELY
The Minister noted that, if BK International, which is constructing the bridge, was to put in some extra work, it can, indeed, finish by June. However, he said that is not being done, so it is not likely that the June deadline will be met.
Moreover, he said, even with extra work, DIPCON Engineering cannot complete the sluice by June and, for that reason, the contractors have been written to advising them of the extension for the whole project.
“That’s the final deadline that has been given. We’ve put it in writing that we are going to have liquidated damages. There is no extension to be given beyond that date,” Ramsammy warned.
He said, further, that they have listened to the contractors, heard their arguments and are convinced that, if they do the work, it can be completed within the new timeline.
Ramsammy said the extra two months, July and August, are often very dry months and the contractors should have good weather.
Meanwhile, Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS),  Dr
Roger Luncheon, at his last media briefing, had said that Cabinet has given its ‘go ahead’ to a contract worth in excess of $80M to boost work and progress in the Hope Canal Project.
Cabinet’s ‘no objection’ to the expenditure now makes possible the supply of fuel and lubricants for the operation, servicing and monitoring of the NDIA hydraulic excavators, bulldozers and draglines that are being used in the process.