MORE than a week after being asked by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, to present a plan of action to address construction challenges, the contractor working on the Hope Canal’s outfall sluice, the eight-gate sluice at the canal’s Atlantic end, has not been forthcoming.Ramsammy told the Guyana Chronicle that a meeting is scheduled today with the contractor to address the way forward.
The plan of action, according to him, was supposed to focus on a revised work plan that would have ensured the December 31 construction deadline was met.
The Agriculture Minister reiterated that going over the deadline is not something that will be tolerated, adding that his suggestion was the use of sub-contractors to ensure that the work is completed.
However, a final word on the way forward decision will depend on the contractor’s plan and the outcome of today’s meeting.
In a prior interview, Ramsammy pointed out that currently work on the outfall sluice is at 50 per cent and at the current pace, work is not likely to be finished on time.
Asked for an update on the progress on the other three components of the project, he said work is progressing well on the more than 10-kilometre channel from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC); the bridge across the public road;and the conservancy head regulator.
Construction on the project began in February 2011, with an estimated 18 months for completion and the deadline for the project was initially set for June of this year, but was subsequently extended to the end of August, and then once again extended to December 31.
The US $15M Hope Canal project is expected to be the answer to the flooding experienced in the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary areas during rainy periods.