By Dillon Goring

THE US$3.2M Cunha Canal rehabilitation project has been launched and is expected to begin almost immediately. The project is to be executed by the Ministry of Agriculture through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and will be administered by the World Bank.

The project is being funded through the Guyana REDD+Investment Fund, which is providing 91.7 per cent or US$3million of the estimated cost, with the Government of Guyana contributing US$270,000 or 8.3 per cent.

The project entails construction of a bridge across the Land of Canaan Public Road, fixing the gate and upgrading the sluice at the outlet of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) and the construction of a new sluice into the outlet of the Cunha Canal into the Demerara River.

According to the Project Manager Mr. Dhaneshwar James, the construction of the Bridge is expected to be completed by May 17th 2019.

This bridge is expected to relieve residents of Badarima Creek, and those at the tributary south of the creek, who are usually affected by flooding in the area.

Meanwhile, monies have already been allocated to execute rehabilitation works on the bridge across the five-door sluice at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara.
The GRIF Project is being facilitated by the Project Management Unit, Ministry Of The Presidency.

The East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) covers an area of 571 kilometres (km) and stores approximately 250 million cubic metres of water at the maximum safe-operating water level. It is dammed on three sides by a shallow-earth embankment 67 km long, parallel to the Demerara River, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mahaica River.

A series of canals controlled by sluices drain water from the EDWC, thereby reducing water levels and avoiding overtopping or stressing of the dams, which may increase the risk of structural failure.

The Cunha Canal Rehabilitation Project is one of eight projects funded by the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund to the value of US $190M.