– will to be operational first quarter of this year

The $3.6B East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) Northern Relief Channel has missed the scheduled December 31,2013 deadline, the major reason being that the contractor implementing the eight-door sluice component of the project, has completed just about 50 percent of the task so far.
Considering that the project is being built for the first time in Guyana, and will be a major engineering construction achievement done by Guyanese engineers and workers, the Ministry of Agriculture has extended the deadline of commissioning the project by two months, and is working with the contractor to have more than 90 percent of the work completed, and have the project become functional by February 14.
At the beginning of December, only 47 percent of the sluice was completed. Minister Ramsammy in a recent interview said the ministry met with the contractor; Courtney Benn Contracting Services and following discussion, it was agreed that the outstanding work will be carried out in six tranches that will bring it to more than 90 percent completion.
Ramsammy explained that there will still be work to be done after the sluice meets this 90 percent completion point under the contract, but this will not impact the functioning of the canal.
He pointed out that the ministry planned the tranches of work going into February, bearing in mind rainy conditions in January.
There were some suggestions that because of the sloth in work on the sluice that the ministry should have terminated the contract with Courtney Benn. Ramsammy noted that it was not a wise thing to do because it would have taken some time, and would have seen the extension of the work to the end of 2014.
He noted too, that Courtney Benn Construction Services has been a stable contracting firm on the Guyana scene for a long time and has done some excellent work. The minister said that he believes that the firm has the capacity to complete this project, and the ministry will work with it to realise this goal.
And as it pertains to the other component of the project; the road side bridge and the road leading to it have been completed, though the contractor is still on site doing ‘mopping up,’ Minister Ramsammy said.
The canal itself is 95 completed, and the small aspects remaining are those that have to be excavated on completion of the sluice and the head regulator.
The shaping of the dam along the entire length of the canal is about 75 percent completed, and as indicated earlier by the Minister, will be done after the entire project is completed, following the settling of the soil. This shaping and reshaping of the dam is to be a continuous process that will be conducted over the next 12 to 24 months.
The Head Regulator is at the point where the gates are being constructed to be fitted into the structure. Outside of this, all that remains is the landscaping and shaping of the dam outside the Head Regulator.
Ramsammy noted that it a legitimate criticism that the project took too long, and that the ministry has had several extensions. “Those who criticised, I would have no difficulties with that and in saying that I wished that the project would have been completed in the stipulated time,” Minister Ramsammy said.
He pointed out though that in spite of this, what must not be allowed to escape everyone is that this was a major project, done essentially by most Guyanese engineers and workers that will be realised in a matter of weeks.
“No one should be under any illusion that what we have accomplished here is a major construction feat and a major engineering feat. The Hope Canal once it begins to function will have several new features that have never been done in Guyana,” he noted.
Also in spite of the project’s extensions there will no cost overrun and indeed the project will completed under the original estimated cost.

(GINA)