Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 13, 2014 Letters
DEAR EDITOR,
A few days ago, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Mr. Lionel Wordsworth stated during an interview on the Hope Canal Project (HCP) construction progress update, that completion of the HCP is on track and it will meet its year-end deadline. However, in early September, Minister of Agriculture Dr. Ramsammy acknowledged that the HCP had missed its third completion deadline but it would nevertheless be completed in six weeks’ time, i.e., end Oct. 31.
A review of construction progress of HCP indicates that the Project will not be completed anytime soon and therefore no flood water could be released from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the Atlantic Ocean as per its stated design requirements. Further, many additional works outside of HCP remain to be built before the system could be functional.
HCP started in Feb. 2011 and was to have been completed 18 months later. In June 2013, Mr. Wordsworth stated that the deadline was not met because of bad weather, long delivery time for equipment and the tardiness of contractors to meet set deadlines. He made no mention of the incompetence and poor management of the NDIA, which is responsible for monitoring construction progress of HCP as well as being the contractor which is struggling to complete the 10.3 kilometres of Canal linking the Head Regulator and Sluice nor the late delivery of the eight sluice gates it was contractually obligated to provide the sluice contractor – Courtney Benn Contracting Services.
The Canal is still under construction and it is unlikely to be completed before the end of 2015 while its cost escalates and is being kept a state secret. The geo-textile material bought over two years ago by NDIA purportedly to strengthen the Canal’s clay embankments has been in storage at a warehouse at Dochfour. Therefore it is puzzling why at this late stage NDIA is now scrambling to install them.
Mr. Wordsworth stated that HCP costs remain within its budget although there is a huge time overrun of nearly three years with several claims pending for contract changes. No mention has been made about these extra costs, particularly those incurred for additional project supervision and other overhead costs which could be substantial as they were not catered for in the original budget.
Finally, Mr. Wordsworth acknowledged that the Hope Canal Project, which was politically conceived and is being badly administered under his watch, was ‘not without its challenges’. Therefore, if HCP is not finished by the end of 2014 as he so confidently assured us all, he should have the courage of his conviction, throw in the towel and leave gracefully before the auditors step in.
Charles Sohan
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