Written by Leroy Smith
WORKS Minister Robeson Benn said yesterday that the drying up of the Amaila Falls is nothing to worry about, since the remedy to the problem is also part of the design for the project.Minister Benn told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that as part of the design for the Amaila Falls, like any other hydro project, there will be constructed a dam, better known as a reservoir, which will serve the purpose of holding water to ensure that the ‘hydro’ has a continuous flow of water.

The minister explained that the reservoir would be used to regulate the water flow, which would see water being stored and released as needed, especially when the falls experiences instances like presently obtains (running dry).

He said that when the water that powers the hydro seems to be getting below the required level, water from the reservoir would be released to keep the level needed; and likewise, when there is too much water in the reservoir itself, it would be released to maintain the required level, as advised by the engineers.

While not a regular occurrence, the issue of the falls running dry is normal, and is also experienced by other falls around the world, Benn added.
He said that at the moment there is a low water regime, which makes impossible the presence of adequate water to maintain a flow at both the falls and river. Moreover, the low water regime also impacts on proper navigating along the rivers during such occurrences.

From time to time, the Kaieteur Falls also experiences low water levels, the minister said, as he made it clear that despite the instances of low water, 99.9 percent of the time there would be sufficient water coming through the falls to power hydro power terminals. He said there is also possibility of the dams running a bit low on water during the present period, because the dry weather is being experienced, and this is also evident along the coast.

He deemed the dry weather also a blessing in disguise, since it allows for infrastructural works.