Latest update December 2nd, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
- Company that won two oil blocks in Guyana happy to pay 10% taxes, 10% royalty
- As Guyanese push for change of oil contract
- Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS countries if they pursue creating new currency
- Teen dies in fiery accident at Linden
- GDF promises continued support for families of soldiers killed in helicopter crash
Faulty koker causes major flooding in Charlestown communities
Kaieteur News – Engineers from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) are currently working to put systems in place to relieve the intrusion of river water in the Charlestown community due to a faulty sluice at Princess Street, Georgetown.
The team will be working assiduously to alleviate this issue once the tide turns
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, inspected the sluice to determine the cause. The Minister noted that after speaking with Engineers on the ground, it was disclosed that the issues faced at the koker were a result of faulty work by the Contractor. Last August, Square Commodities signed a contract for just over $11.6 million with the NDIA for the fabrication and installation of a stainless-steel door at the Princess Street Sluice. The contract was tendered and awarded to the company following a public bidding process in keeping with legal stipulations set out by the Government of Guyana through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).
Minister Mustapha while expressing disappointment, said situations like these should never occur. “We went through a very transparent process with these contracts. The company submitted bids and was awarded the contract based on their submission. Today, when we are having very good weather, people are being affected because of faulty work by the Contractor. The Government is now put in a position to create a solution because we have been entrusted with taking care of the welfare of all citizens of the country. This is the first time we’ve worked with this company and as Minister, I am very dissatisfied. When we took office, we made it clear that we want everyone to be given a fair chance to work with the Government and receive contracts but if you are not experienced or have experienced people working with you, you may find yourself in a similar situation and we do not take these situations lightly,” he noted.
The faulty sluice at Princess Street
He further stated that the NDIA has since been advised to terminate the contract and award an emergency contract to a company with more experience. NDIA’s Chief Executive Officer (ag) Dave Hicks and Senior Engineer, Timothy Innis are currently on the ground monitoring the situation. Affected areas will be drained during the next low tide later in the afternoon while works are ongoing to stop the intrusion from the Demerara River. Engineers from the NDIA will also be monitoring the structure on a 24-hour basis.
Meanwhile, in a separate release, the Department of Public Information (DPI) said residents of Werk-en-Rust, Charlestown and other areas surrounding the Princess Street Koker are advised to take the necessary precautions as the rising tide has caused some difficulties in the replacement of the Koker door, resulting in notable flooding. Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, led a team from the Ministry’s Sea Defence Department to the area, where he gave the assurance that a collaborative effort will see work being conducted to resolve the issue. He said, “We’re in the peak of the tide, and they have encountered difficulty. In some instances where I have just inspected, the water has already started to come into some people’s yards, and even those who are living on the bottom flats could be affected.”
He noted that the team had begun to replace the wooden Koker door with a steel one for added strength. This task had been in progress since Saturday last, but difficulties arose with the tide. As a result, the door was unable to stop the onslaught of water from filling the drains. “All the Engineers from the Drainage and Irrigation Authority, with support from the Ministry, are here. A solution will be found as soon as the tide changes, I am advised that they will take out the steel door, and they will put back in the old wooden door as a mechanism, until they can get the challenge they have faced rectified.” Meanwhile, he engaged with some residents in an affected community, informing them of the situation and urged them to take the necessary precautions.
- Charlestown, communities, Faulty koker, Minister of Agriculture, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA, Zulfikar Mustapha
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The PPPC does not practice political inclusion
…Peeping Tom Kaieteur News- The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC) has mastered the art of political rhetoric.... more
Haiti: Tragically Descending into Deeper Crisis
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- As gang violence spirals out of control in Haiti, the limitations of international... more
Weekend Cartoon
