Agriculture Ministry requests GDF assistance to monitor EDWC

Jan 13, 2009 News

…water dumping into Mahaica/Mahaicony outlets ceases

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud yesterday confirmed in a telephone interview that he has submitted a request to the Secretary of the Defence Board wherein he would like to have the assistance of the Guyana Defence Force in monitoring the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC).

According to the minister, the decision on what measure of support will be provided will have to be taken in collaboration with the Civil Defence Commission.

He noted that the request was in light of the vast size of the conservancy and the severity of the situation.

He noted that, as Agriculture Minister, the onus was on him to ensure that all available measures, precautions and resources are used to ensure that the situation is kept under control.

Meanwhile, the water levels in recent days have subsided in the conservancy, and a decision has been taken to discontinue release of water into the Mahaica and Mahaicony creeks via the Maduni sluices as of yesterday.

The Lama relief outfall will also be manually undertaken.

As a means of coping with the above-normal rainfall which commenced last December, excess water in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) was released from the five-door sluice at Land of Canaan, Kofi and Cunia Sluices into the Demerara River.

Also, a decision was taken by the EDWC Board to discharge water into the Atlantic through the Maduni and Lama Sluices.

The decision, taken in late December last, saw at low tides the discharge of water, as the level of the conservancy was nearing its full capacity.

The water rose to a threatening level, posing much danger to the integrity of the conservancy dam which runs behind the East Coast Demerara and Georgetown areas; and, as such, the decision was taken to release some of the water from the EDWC to avoid major catastrophe.

The discharge through the Maduni was projected to have minimum effect on the residents who live in the upper reaches of the Mahaica Creek, but the residents complained otherwise.

In a release issued by the EDWC Commission, it was stated that all precautions were being undertaken to ensure that the discharge of water did not acutely aggravate an already rising Mahaica Creek, due to the historic level of rainfall along the coast and in areas which flow into the various creeks and rivers.

The EDWC Commission, prior to the commencement of the discharge, had been advising residents via television that the level of the conservancy had been rising to a threatening level and it may necessitate a release of water through the discharge outlet that leads into the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition, residents in the upper reaches of the Mahaica and Mahaicony Creeks were advised to be on the alert and to take necessary precautions should the EDWC Board decide to release the water to prevent any pressure on the dam.

As a means of a long-term solution to discharging water from the conservancy, the Government has proposed to commence building a $3B relief canal, which is slated to be completed by mid-2010.

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Agriculture Ministry requests GDF assistance to monitor EDWC

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