Latest update December 4th, 2024 2:40 AM
BK to fix new sea defence breach at Dantzig
– Could cost $145M – Public Works Minister
By Shikema Dey
Equipment belonging to BK International on site at Dantzig, Mahaicony.
BK International Inc. will now be tasked with fixing a new and additional 100 meters of breached sea defence resulting in massive flooding to the surrounding coast land communities at Dantzig, Mahaicony, Berbice.
Revealing this detail to the media was Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, who also said that this new breach could cost $145M to be sealed.
“The estimate for the fixing of that 100 meters breach as currently exists,” he explained, “could be about $145M and that’s what we are looking at based upon the figures that they provided to me.”
BK International was already handed a $352M contract to fix some 500 meters of breached sea defence at the very Dantzig, Mahaicony point but a recent visit to the area by Junior Public Works Minister, Deodat Indar, revealed no significant work has been done.
According to Minister Edghill, the breach occurred close to where the contractor is conducting repairs and since this was so, he relayed that instead of hiring a new contractor, they identified BK to complete the job.
“The reality is because of how the sea defences are situated, even if you wanted to put in another contractor that is not currently mobilized on the site to do that emergency work, you’re talking about an impossibility,” he said.
“What I have agreed with the Permanent Secretary, since we had a contract that was already awarded to BK International, and the monies were not all paid out,” the Minister said that monies from that $352M contract would be used in an emergency manner to foot the bill for this new breach.
Minister Edghill said that at the appropriate time, “with a budget and in a proper financial architecture,” applications will be made for the sums that are required to satisfy the contractual demands.
Giving more context to the extent of the issue, Minister Indar explained that the little breach could expand further, causing more damage and result in additional funds being expended.
“That 100 meter in couple of days can become 200, 300, 400…and it extends as the water keeps gushing into the riverfront, the oceanfront, so to stop the escalation, the speed to react is the most critical thing,” he said.
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