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US$15M Hope Canal project…APNU supports call for review
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) supports the call by private engineers to review the US$15M Hope Canal project that is reportedly poorly monitored, with substandard works being executed.
In fact, APNU Member of Parliament Joseph Harmon believes that all major infrastructural projects such as the construction of the Hope Canal; East Coast Demerara four-lane expansion; and the Amaila Falls Road project, should be halted and reviewed.
According to Harmon, these projects should be examined by the Guyana Association of Professional Engineers since poor quality engineering at exorbitant contract sums are being executed.
The engineers claim that the timber piles being driven for the outfall sluice are clearly out of position.
These projects, he stressed, should also be scrutinized in the National Assembly, since many of them began without proper public consultations and transparency.
The parliamentarian made those comments in light of a letter published in Wednesday’s edition of this newspaper titled “Government should order mid-term review of Hope Canal project”.
The letter, written by engineers Malcolm Alli and Charles Sohan, stated that it is unlikely that the contractors would meet the project’s June 2013 deadline based on the project’s activities, quality control, and the contractors’ abilities to organize and execute works timely.
The engineers also spoke of piles being driven in an unacceptable manner and other factors which could threaten the project.
In October 2010, government launched the canal project after major flooding threatened the coastlands. The project’s two-year duration expired last October and was extended to around mid-2013.
The project is being executed in four components: construction of the actual canal by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA); erection of the head regulator by BK International; building of a bridge by Dipcon Engineering Services; and construction of the sluice by Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd.
Recently, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, expressed concerns that critical aspects of the Hope Canal project may not be completed by the June 2013 deadline.
But he expressed optimism that the contractors could meet that target if they increase the pace with which works are being expedited.
According to the engineers, “Work done on the Weir discharge structure (Atlantic Ocean sluice) across the sea defence indicates that only about 15% of contract work has been completed to date, and based on the contractor’s performance thus far it is unlikely that the structure will be completed and become functional before 2014.”
Other issues raised were the presence of weeds in the canal; construction of the embankments between the crown and conservancy dams in a state of flux; works on the head regulator about 20 percent completed; and works on the bridge progressing slowly with an untidy work site, and improper storage of materials and equipment.
According to Harmon, Government should take the observations made by these engineers seriously since the Hope Canal when completed will be vital for flood prevention. He stressed that if the NDIA cannot execute the works, the task should be awarded to an experienced engineering firm.
The Member of Parliament related that in his 2012 Budget presentation in the National Assembly – because of discussions with experienced engineers who are worried about the state of major infrastructural projects – he had appealed for projects to be reviewed.
Attempts to contact Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and NDIA’s Chief Executive Officer Lionel Wordsworth on the matter were unsuccessful. However, Chairman of NDIA’s Board, Dharamkumar Seeraj said he will not respond to any letter written in the newspaper. In fact, he made it clear that he does not read letters.
Seeraj stressed that the engineers should have posed their concerns to the head of NDIA and the Government.
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